Stoics in Love
by crazyscorpi
Summary: Hermione and Remus unwittingly start to fall in love after losing everything in the war.
1. Chapter 1

This was what grief felt like, she supposed.

This is what it felt like to have your young heart, full of joy and hope, to be torn apart.

The air felt stiff and suffocating. Almost killing her.

It didn't make sense. It just didn't make sense.

The war was over. Voldemort was dead. The Light had won. Harry had won.

Then why did it feel like her entire world just ended?

Ron. Ronald Weasley. The only boy to annoy the hell out of her and aggravate her through puberty. The only man who loved her enough to make her feel beautiful was now lying on a hospital bed with no life in his eyes. She had faced the wrath of an insane Bellatrix, she had fought against the coldest megalomaniac who terrorized over five generations and his countless brain-dead followers. But nothing had prepared her for this.

Her Ron, sleeping peacefully, waiting to go home. It seemed like a harmless thing to do. Placing trunks filled with old school robes and books in the attic. Everything was as normal as it could be. That was until a part of the roof that was kept in place magically, gave way and came crashing down on her beloved Ron. He was now in deep sleep, his brain having suffered serious damage. The healers couldn't tell when he would wake or if would wake at all. They couldn't even tell if he would be sane or retain his memory when he woke up.

He was supposed to start his Auror training in three weeks time. He had just gotten through the entrance exams along with Harry and was going to start his life afresh. Hermione and Ron were to get a flat together soon once they settled down at work. They were to get engaged, married, have babies and grow old together.

Life was so unfair, so cruel, so brutal.

Just when they thought they had it all, just when they thought all their misery was over, an innocuous task changed her life upside down. She didn't know how to cope. Infact she wasn't even coping. It all just seemed like one big joke. All her life, she had only known Ron. She had known they were going to share something significant the second she walked into that compartment looking for Neville's toad. She knew she would fall in love with him and want to marry him ever since the incident with the troll in the girl's bathroom. She also knew he would dump Lavender eventually and come back to her because he was hers. Her Ron.

He fought with her and for her during the battle with a courage she never knew he possessed. He had come out of the battle as a young, battle scarred man who had given up his childhood in order to ensure she, Harry and his family could have a future. On nights when she couldn't sleep, he just held her, lending her the kind of unconditional love and support one needed after war. They had won the war. But they never did. No one could ever win a war. Both sides grieved the loss of their loved ones.

She held him while he cried about Fred and he held her when she couldn't restore her parent's memories. They had a little world of their own which no one could enter. Not even Harry. In this world, they loved each other deeply and in ways that no one could understand. Harry inherited his life and circumstances from Voldemort. But Hermione and Ron chose this life, they chose to give up their childhoods and their otherwise normal lives. All for Harry, each other and the greater good. And their sacrifices had not gone waste. They had bliss. Bliss that lasted a little short of four months.

Her Ron.

She wanted to cry, but couldn't get herself to. She wanted to scream, to throw things, to hit someone, do some damage but couldn't. It felt like she had been immobilised. She knew the heart was in the centre of one's chest but she felt like someone had placed weight over a little organ in her left side. Only the heaviness of the weight made the whole situation seem real. Otherwise she would have never believed it to be real. Only the weight made her realise that she had very little left to live for. That and George's face.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Author's note: constructive criticism appreciated! The only excuse I can think of for my structuring and grammar is that this is my first attempt! Please do review!

Chapter 2

Hermione couldn't stand the pity.

Neither could she stand the pain that the Weasleys were going through. They were just starting to come to terms with Fred's death. Ron's accident literally tore them apart. The Burrow was eerily quiet at all times and Ron's hand on the clock permanently placed at lost. He was back at the Burrow along with muggle IV tubes that fed him with the required nutrition. His face was peaceful and his expression broke Hermione's heart more than anything. It made her feel like he wasn't even trying to snap out of his sleep. Hermione sat in an old rickety chair at his side. She had a long day at work, filling papers at the Ministry where she was now interning in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She heard a knock and someone enter. She smiled to herself.

'After all those months we spent in the tent, it is so easy to identify your footsteps. Ron's too but I don't think we are going to hear those any time soon.', she said.

Harry looked at her with worry and deposited himself on Ron's bed. 'Please don't say that. You cannot be like this. You cannot lose hope. You know it would kill Ron if he thought you gave up on him more than anyone.'

Hermione laughed harshly and Harry winced.'Look at him Harry! He looks HAPPY! He looks PEACEFUL! We are miserable and he looks content!' Tears started to spill over as Harry hugged her tightly. Harry shushed her and held her close. He couldn't bear to see his best friends like this. He somehow felt responsible. He knew he wasn't but he couldn't help the feeling. They both had sacrificed their relationship and kept it on the back burner all these years for him, only for fate to throw this in their way. He started to shake with tears too.

'I'm sorry Harry. I don't know what came over me. I feel so betrayed and it isn't even anyone's fault. I cannot be angry at anyone. And I am so scared for him. What if he never wakes up? I cannot imagine a life without him Harry!' Hermione pulled away to wipe her snot away. Her eyes were starting to hurt. She had been crying for the last eleven days, ever since the accident. It felt like her entire body hurt from all that crying. The weight from her chest was replaced by hollowness. Her entire being felt oddly empty. She didn't feel any emotion until she saw Molly, Arthur, Harry or George. They were the only ones who really seemed to struggle with the loss. They were the only ones who shared her fear of losing Ron forever.

The rest of the world seemed pretty convinced that it wouldn't be long before Ron woke up because he was such a fighter. But Hermione was never an optimist. Years of dealing with war first hand had toughened her.

Harry broke her thoughts after calming down a bit, 'Neither can I Hermione. He was my first friend. He was my best friend. I cannot lose him. And I cannot lose you either. I know I am being rather selfish in asking you this, but please be strong. For Ron and for me. I cannot deal with this without you. I need you. Ron needs you. I cannot – ' he was cut off with a knock and Molly's sober face peeping through the door.

'Kids supper is ready. I want you both in the kitchen in five minutes'

She shut the door behind her and ignored the tear streaked faces of her adopted children. Harry and Hermione did not hold that against her. Molly had become quite mechanical after the accident and had become a shadow of her previous self. It was hard enough to lose Fred, but to lose her youngest son who had given up so much for the greater good seemed very unjust to her. She was constantly fighting with her beliefs, constantly wondered what came out of being so nice. Her children were amazing and they all had their hearts in the right place. Percy too. But they seemed to have suffered the most. Fred died. Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Harry were constantly facing of Voldemort and his cronies. Bill was attacked by a werewolf and her husband almost got murdered. It was Harry's and Hermione's support that kept her strong. She knew if there was anyone who took this the hardest it was them.

Harry wiped Hermione's tears,' Lets go down and get some protein in you. You definitely look like you need it. I can smell the beef stew up here too'. Hermione smiled, "'ometimes I feel like all teenage boys think of is food and not carnal activities'. Harry snorted, 'Only you would call those activities "carnal"!'

Together they went downstairs to the kitchen where they were greeted by the entire family. Percy and George had moved to the Burrow temporarily after the war. The accident happened just before the two of them were about to move out. They were greeted by silence as they took their places. Hermione looked up to make eye contact with George. The possibility of losing Ickle Ronniekins after Fred almost killed him. He was just starting to go back to his old demeanour. Now he was back to the shell of a person that he was just after the Battle.

George looked up at Hermione and tried to give her a smile. He tried really hard. But couldn't manage it. With a lot of difficulty he managed to turn the left side of his lips in an attempt to smile. But to Hermione, it looked like he was going to cry. They both understood each other's grief now. George knew if they were to lose Ron, Hermione would go through what he went through with Fred. He tried to be strong for her but he found that it had become impossible.

"The Death Eater trials are going at a ridiculously slow pace. It looks like their powerful families are doing everything in their power to save them." Percy said in an attempt to make conversation. 'Let the law take its due course. I am sure the Ministry will not let them get away scot free' Arthur said without looking up from his soup. It was followed by silence.

Hermione wanted to scream. The Burrow was never supposed to be this quiet, this stifling. She excused herself and walked to the garden where she leaned against a tree and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She felt George's arms snake around her waist, hugging her from behind. She also felt his tears on her shoulders.

'I thought I was done with my quota of tears for the day' She said when realised she had been crying too.

'How was work?' he asked while still holding her tight. Giving her the support and the warmth she needed.

'It was okay. I still haven't moved past paperwork but then again it has just been a month. How was your day?'

'Horrible. I decided to go clean up the store room and found Fred everywhere.'

'I'm sorry George' she said squeezing his arms. He suddenly let go of her and turned her around.

'You are not sorry Hermione. YOU ARE SO NOT SORRY. If you were sorry, you would have tried harder. Ron is not dead. NOT DEAD. DID YOU HEAR THAT?! You still have a chance! There is still a possibility of you getting everything you wanted. Yet you go around wallowing in self pity. I don't know what Ron saw in you Hermione. You are so weak and such a lame excuse for a Gryffindor. I am almost ashamed of you Hermione. I'm sorry but there is only so much I can take.' And he stormed off leaving Hermione alone in the November cold.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Author's note: Thank you iggymiggy and Reggie for being my first reviewers along with Penaaz! I do want to write Romione but I am afraid I will make a mockery out of it! No one can write Romione like JKR! And Reggie here comes Remus!

Constructive criticism appreciated! Please do review!

Chapter 3

Remus was waiting at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to deposit some of his papers. The Ministry was in the process of changing the archaic law of listing werewolves as creatures rather than giving them the status of wizards and witches. It was one of the few good results that came out of the war. He grimly wondered about how long it would take for the prejudice to reduce once the laws changed. Werewolves were feared and shunned from society for centuries and a change at the Ministry would hardly guarantee social acceptance. None of it mattered to him anyways. It was too little too late. Dora and his unborn child were gone. Cruelly ripped apart from him. Dora.

His Dora.

She was always so full of hope and joy. She didn't need to change the colour of her hair in order to brighten up the room. Her smile was enough for that. She was a young, brave and selfless woman who had done no wrong in her short life. Except for maybe fall in love with him. Had they not been married and had he not gotten her pregnant, she would not have been so vulnerable at the Battle. Hell, she came to the Battle because she thought he would need her there. But then again this was his Dora they were talking about. She would never miss out on any chance to fight the bad guys. Her simple view of the world never really simplified their lives. They constantly fought over various things like his lycanthropy, her recklessness and their unborn child. But then again no marriage was complete without its share of trials.

His Dora.

He missed her. He missed her more than he missed the feeling of being treated as a normal wizard. How he would go back to being discriminated against by the law just so he could hold her again and tell her how sorry he was for failing to protect her and their child. It was his fault. He was never good enough for her and he was never going to be good enough for his child. He should have been the one to go. Not his Dora. Not the innocent foetus.

"Thanks for dropping these off , you should get your certificates and monthly supply of Wolfsbane in a week's time." Smiled the sweet clerk at the desk. He muttered a quick and curt thanks and turned to leave. On his way out he bumped into a familiar and once bushy haired woman. He sighed. There was no way he could avoid this conversation. He had no idea what to say. Was he to say that he felt sorry for her loss? Honestly he didn't really care what happened to the rest of the world. Dealing with his pain had left him exhausted enough emotionally. He didn't have the strength or capacity to feel for others. But he wouldn't tell her that. He was raised better than that and he knew that it wouldn't have been easy for his former student to deal with her loss and the intrusion of media and society in her life at this particular time. The incident had been covered by every paper out there and was talked about by everyone. One of the Golden Trio and Harry Potter's best friend was now in a vegetative state. Every story made it seem like such an unfair story. Such a tragic incident. It wouldn't help that everyone pitied her now.

"Hi Hermione. How have you been ? Its been a while." He said more out of necessity rather than curiosity.

"I've been good. How about you?" she replied in what could have possibly been the most dead panned voice. This caught his attention and he looked into her eyes only to see brown. There was nothing else in there. Just pools of brown. He saw no misery, he saw no anger and no hurt. For the first time in what felt like a really long time, he was scared. Scared for his comrade and old friend. After Dora's death he had shut everyone out. Refusing to meet anyone or divulge his state of affairs to anyone. Not even Harry was privy to his thoughts and feelings which were mostly guilt ridden.

But the fear for his friend didn't last long. His sense of self preservation took over. He had learned by now that every time he got close to someone, the person either got hurt or it was him who got hurt. Knowing he didn't have the courage to face any kind of turmoil now, he wisely decided to cut short the conversation. "Same old, same old."

Hermione had long given up on Remus after Tonk's death. So she decided to just be friendly and passed on Molly's invitation to the lunch on Sunday, 'You must come this Sunday. We haven't seen you in weeks and your visit would certainly distract Molly for a bit.'

'So you want to use me as a distraction?' he spat out venomously.

'It's the least you could do for the woman who took you under her wing and attended your wedding. It's the least you can do for the family that supported you irrespective of what you were listed as at the Ministry. It's the least you could do for me and Harry, Remus. I know its been hard for you. But they would really like to see you.' Hermione had no idea why she was even trying. She knew he would turn her down or just not show up. But it was worth a try for Molly. That woman had done so much for her. She would be forever indebted to her and she also understood what Remus was dealing with.

Remus just turned and left abruptly.

Hermione knew there was no hope left for them.

Remus did not know why he was crying. He just had to get out of there.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns everything

Author's Note: NeonDomino Remus will continue to be morose for another 5-7 chapters for sure! So buckle up the ride is going to be long!

I see that SIL is getting many visitors but none of you guys are reviewing! I would really love your feedback! I will even hasten up the romance if you guys are nice enough to me! :P

Moving on…

Chapter 4

Remus got out his customary tweed jacket. His well loved and worn out tweed jacket. Dora loved the jacket. She thought he looked sexy in it and was probably the only witch to ever find him sexy. He smiled at it. He would never know what she saw in him. They never really bonded over intellectual conversations either. He guessed it had something to do with the patrols they did on those moonless nights in the dangerous corridors of the Ministry.

He didn't know why he was going. Maybe it was Molly. Maybe it was the entire family. Maybe he just missed company. Maybe he just hated himself too much to spend any time by himself. A cruel laugh escaped his mouth. He knew this was going to be a really bad idea. He dusted the jacket after putting it on and left to apparate to the Burrow.

He reached a few feet away from the fence. It was eerily quiet. So much so that even the garden gnomes were not creating a ruckus. He didn't like it one bit. This was where he and Dora got married, surrounded by love and laughter. Dora would have hated what it had come to know. He sighed and walked towards the door. Molly opened the door before he could knock and his breath got caught in his throat.

It was worse than he thought. Molly looked like she had aged a decade in a few weeks time. Her face was devoid of any kind of warmth. It was gaunt and emotionless. Molly tried smiling but it ended up looking like a grimace. She hugged him anyways. 'Its really nice to see you Remus. I am so glad you came. I thought we had lost you forever.' her hug which was once comforted him and reminded him of Dorea Potter, now felt cold and empty. He could not respond so just hugged her tight, hoping he had conveyed everything he could not say.

He heard Arthur's soft voice 'Ahh Remus! I thought we would never hear from you again'. Remus frowned and let go of Molly. Why did everyone seem to have an opinion on his aloofness? But Arthur's smile stopped him from making any kind of comment. His red hair had lost all pigment. He had lost his child too. And now he was on the brink of losing another. He too wasn't able to protect his family as he would have liked to. He wanted to cry. He wanted to break down right there and cry like a little boy. The way he did after Dora's and his baby's funeral.

Arthur seemed to have sensed his grief and hugged him as he had taken to holding George during his insomnia ridden nights. Remus seemed so lost when he turned up at the door. Arthur knew the man needed as much support as could get, but seeing how he had been reacting in the past few months to any kind of friendly gesture, he didn't know how to help him.

'I thought for once I shouldn't be a jackass. I bumped into Hermione at the Ministry the other day and she invited me over for lunch. I am really sorry about Ron. I wish I had told you that earlier' Remus muttered. Arthur slapped his back and said, 'You are always welcome here Remus. You are very dear to all of us. And please don't talk like my boy is dead. There is still hope for him. He might just decide to grace us with his presence today.' Remus wanted to snort but stopped himself out of courtesy. His eyes locked with Hermione's while she was coming down the stairs and he looked away. He knew if she had overheard the conversation, she would have had a lower tolerance for cheek than Arthur did.

He walked to the kitchen where he found George mulling over a pot of tea and joined him. George surprisingly seemed like he was finally coming to terms with Fred's death. At least one of them was dealing with the death of a loved one well. He didn't look lifeless like Molly or Hermione. He didn't even look resigned like Arthur. He just looked sad and like he had accepted the fact that he would never get to see Fred again. George looked up and nodded at him.

'You look like you have had enough of the pity party' George noted wryly.

'Yeah I was hoping you would rescue me' Remus half-attempted at a joke. The expression on George's face made him feel a little lighter on the inside. He felt less agitated about the lunch. He noticed Hermione had quietly slipped in and George gave her a small smile which she returned.

'I don't know about your rescuing Remus but I definitely think Angelina needs some rescuing now' Hermione noted. George's face turned towards the living room where he saw his mother conversing very passionately with Angelina. 'Sorry Remus, will have to join you later' George said and sped off to take Angelina away from his mum's clutches.

'She is pregnant you know. With Fred's child. That's why Molly is so stressed. She wants her to move in as soon as possible because she feels like its her responsibility to take care of Fred's child and its mother.' Hermione told him. As he let the thought sink in, his eyes darted to her slightly swollen stomach. She was having a baby. She was going to bring it up without the father. Granted the whole Weasley clan would look after Fred's offspring, he couldn't help but feel for the child. The child would probably go through what Harry went through. But it at least had a mother and a loving extended family. He often thought of what would have happened had he stuck to his original plan of separating from Dora and not giving the child his name. Would his child grow up happy to not have a werewolf for a father? Or would his child feel betrayed?

Hermione recognised the distant look in his eyes while he stared at Angelina's small belly. He was probably thinking of his own child whom he never had the chance of meeting. Fred too would never see his child. Arthur and Molly might never get to see their youngest son move again. She might never be able to have Ron's babies the way she had always dreamed she would. The war had taken so much away from everyone. She wanted to run. Run away form this world.

Living as a muggle in some obscure part of the world without ever thinking of magic seemed very appealing now.

'Stop feeling sorry for me.' Remus said tightly. Hermione snapped out of her reverie and looked at Remus thoroughly again. 'It wasn't you I was feeling sorry for. It was for myself.'

HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAHAHAHAHA.

Remus's loud and cruel laughter echoed through the whole of the Burrow.

'Feel sorry for yourself?! FEEL SORRY FOR HERMIONE FUCKING GRANGER?!'

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

'Little Miss Perfect with the perfect grades and the perfect job feels sorry for herself because her boyfriend is asleep and refuses to wake up to have her babies. What would you know about life! You are not even two decades old! You have had the most sheltered upbringing and have gotten all the privileges that come along with being the teacher's pet! If Ron doesn't wake up tomorrow you will move on and get knocked up by someone else…'

He was stopped by a hard slap across his face.

Hermione was seething in anger. 'How dare you Remus?! I know you are grieving but so are we! You are not the only one to lose someone you loved! I loved Tonks too you know! And just because I am not a werewolf doesn't mean I haven't faced any kind of discrimination. Me being a muggle born has come in the way of my appraisal at various times and you know that! And how dare you say that about Ron! I will never be able to love anyone the way I love Ron!'

He turned around abruptly. 'I knew it was foolish to come here.'

He took long steps to get out of the Burrow as fast as he could and no one stopped him. Everyone looked shocked and hurt. Except for George. He looked outraged. Remus had no intention of ruining his day further and avoided making eye contact with young man. On his way out he bumped into Harry who looked overjoyed on seeing him. His expression soon changed as he saw the faces of the others at the door and through the windows. It sobered Remus a bit who looked back with what he thought was an apologetic face. He hadn't meant all that he said and he knew he was wrong when he felt like he dealt with the worst.

He just become so lonely. He had lost the only woman who loved him, he lost his mentor Dumbledore and all his friends. He only had Harry now. The Weasleys and the others were a part of his life only because he was important to Harry. He hadn't meant to be so harsh on Hermione. He sighed, 'It's a long story Harry. Its best if we talk about it some other time.'

Harry looked once more at the others and put his arm around his father's best friend, 'No its high time we talked. You owe it to me now. Lets go somewhere else.' Remus had no choice when Harry put it like that. He knew it was true. He let Harry apparate them to Grimmauld Place where he brewed the both of them some hot chocolate. Remus hadn't had chocolate in a long time. He didn't want to have chocolate. He didn't see the point in having any.

'Have it. You will feel better' Harry told him without any smile or hint of humour.

Remus took the tiniest sip. He had to admit he missed the smell of chocolate. 'What do you want to talk about Harry? I don't think it's a good idea to skip Molly's cooking for any kind of conversation with me.'

'I know which is why I want to fucking stay away from the Weasleys and Hermione.'

Remus was too shocked to respond to him. The only other time Harry addressed him this way was when he offered to join them on their Horcrux hunt and leave Dora behind to deal with the baby on her own.

Harry's gaze was flinty as he spoke, 'We care for you deeply Remus but that does not give you the right to disrespect us or disregard our feelings. You are not the only person who was affected by the war so its about time you stopped acting like a petulant child. Even Dudley seems to show more maturity than you do. All you have been is selfish. Right since Tonks got pregnant, all you have been thinking of is yourself. Its either your sense of righteousness, your conscience, your guilt or your loneliness. We have all been through similar conflicts during war. You have no right to go around mocking people's loss when all they are trying to do is move on, which you refuse to do because of your selfishness. I don't know what has come over you. I don't know about my dad but I know for sure Sirius and Tonks would be very disappointed in you if they saw you like this. I know I am.'

That's all that Remus needed. That was the last straw. The very last thread that held him together. He broke down. He broke down like a little child and cried. He cried for everything and everyone. He cried for James, Lily, Sirius, Peter, Dumbledore, Dora, Fred and Ron. He cried alone. Harry did not comfort him while he relived all those moments. Harry left the second he saw Remus falling apart. For all those times when he rejected their unconditional support, Remus would have to deal with his pain alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: JKR owns EVERYTHING

Author's Note: Thanks Reggie! This one has no Remus in it but hope you like it!

P.S - please forgive my limited knowledge of Quidditch. I never found any sport interesting enough to keep me engaged.

Chapter 5

'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used physical force on you. It was wrong and inappropriate.

-Hermione'

Hermione's hand was itching to tear the note. She didn't know if it would be a good idea to apologise now seeing how he didn't want anything to do with them. But she had been wrong and she had been quick to forgive him. She knew Remus never meant any of it. He was yet to recover from the aftermath of the war. Everyone had different capacities for grief. Seeing how he had very little to live for most of his life, Tonks and their baby seemed something close to impossible. When he finally had a family of his own, when he finally felt complete, they had to go, they had to leave him.

She folded the note and kept it in her pocket. She had a lot to do today. She and Harry were moving out of the Burrow. It had been a month since Ron went into coma and there had been no developments on that front. Her heart felt like there was a hand constantly wrapped around it, holding it uncomfortably tight. She went back to packing her belongings. She looked around and took a deep breath of the familiar room. It smelled musky but it made her feel very warm. It was familiar. It was the same room she had stayed in since her third year. It never changed. Even though everything and everyone around it did. She sighed and walked up to the window. She had already packed away all of her clothes, books and documents. The only remaining things to be packed were things that reminded her of Ron. She wasn't so sure if she should take them. In the end she decided that she would because it wasn't like she wasn't going to think of him the whole day anyway.

As she looked out of the window she saw that the garden was covered in snow. It was just two weeks till Chirstmas and it had started to snow a little earlier this year. Her mind wandered back to those summers when the boys and Ginny played Quidditch all morning and then they would all go take a dip in the pool. She thought back to one of her favourite memories, just before Bill's wedding and their subsequent hunt for Horcruxes.

_It was a bright day and the Burrow was buzzing with excitement. It was one of those days when Voldemort was just a distant memory and all everyone thought of was how to make the most of the pleasant weather. Obviously Hermione's opinion of it being a perfect day to go on a picnic was drowned by a chorus of Quidditch. She sighed and picked up the latest edition of Hogwarts: a History to read on the ground while the others played. She found herself a nice little spot under a tree from where she got a clear view of the match that was still far enough to not disturb her reading. After the teams were divided and everyone got on their brooms, she started reading and lost herself in the text._

_After about 40 minutes of reading, she looked up to see Ron do a spectacular somersault of sorts to save a goal. Her breath got caught in her throat when she thought he was going to hit his head on the conjured loop. She smiled when he did a very lame imitation of a dancing chicken at the twins who were chasers on the opposing team. She then noticed Ron was drenched in sweat. She tried to look away from the drops that slid down his neck and disappeared into his t-shirt. She tried not to focus on how his t-shirt was now sticking to his figure and how broad his shoulders had become. Ron now had the body of a man and it took everything in Hermione's power to not ogle at him when he came down to breakfast bare chested with his hair sticking up in funny ways. Hermione had to close her eyes and take a deep breath to steady herself and chided her hormone-ridden brain. She opened her eyes to see Ron walking towards her with a bright smile on his face. He went on to remove his t-shirt – the only thing that kept Hermione from acting like Lavender. She determinedly focused on the text infront of her. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the others staying away from them._

_'Hermione get rid of that book for me please. It's a sin to read on a day like this.'_

_'No.'_

_'Oh c'mon!' he managed to snatch her book away and her eyes landed on the muscled chest infront of her and her throat went dry. Very dry. Ron didn't seem to notice any difference. He continued to ramble on without realising that Hermione was yet to look up at his face during their conversation. Her mind was going into dangerous territory. She imagined digging her nails into his back. A gentle shake from Ron shook her out of her thoughts. She blushed fiercely when she looked up at him and then quickly looked away shyly. It was only then did Ron piece everything together and started to sport a very goofy smile. She found him reaching out toward her, she thought he was going to kiss her then. She knew he was going to kiss her then. She could feel her heart rate go out of control. She wondered briefly if she would have a cardiac arrest when she could see his arms go around her. She could see humour in his eyes and his lips part, she could smell him so strongly. She loved the smell, he smelled citrus-y, which was very surprising. But she had grown to love it. And she was now almost addicted to it. She felt her eyes close on their own account. She felt him touch her hair and then she could feel his warmth retreat. She almost growled and opened her eyes to see a very wide smile playing on his face with a tiny leaf in his hand._

_'It was stuck in your hair'_

_'Oh'_

_'I need to get back to the match' he said, almost too merrily._

_'Ok'_

_'Hermione' he said with a strange look on his face. She could see his eyes go dark. His eyes dropped to her lips. Her heartbeats picked up speed. _

_"RONALD WESLEY GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE" Frederick Gideon Weasley shouted. Hermione wanted to castrate him. From the look on Ron's face, he did too. _

_Ron reached out and stroked her cheek tenderly, in a way he had never before. Hermione felt light inside. _

_'I'll be back in a bit' he said. She felt the urge to giggle but just nodded._

_He took over two hours to get back and when he did, the Weasley clan and Harry gave them no space. Hermione watched him from her spot throughout the match and didn't admonish herself for the thoughts that followed. The text lay forgotten._

She couldn't stop herself from smiling. Memories like that gave her the strength to keep going on, to keep hoping. The memory made her feel just as light inside as it had back then. She remembered it all so vividly. The blue of his eyes, the freckles on his face, his lopsided goofy grin, his citrusy smell. She went back to packing all of his gifts, his shirts and jerseys that she had stolen from him, the bedhseets on which they first made love and his pathetic attempts at writing her poetry and love letters.

She hear harry enter the room. "All packed?" he asked.

She looked around and smiled at him "Yes I'm almost done". Harry seemed surprised to see her happy but smiled back in any case. He sat at the edge of her bed and watched her move around the room closely. He never really thought of the room as Hermione's. It brought back so many memories of him sneaking in to get a few stolen moments with Ginny while the others were busy.

"Moving out kind of cements it like nothing else did. Not even the war." She broke him out of his reverie.

"Huh?" he had no idea what she was talking about. She looked back at him like what she was talking about had been the most obvious thing, "Us becoming adults."

"Oh yes it does. I am a little freaked out about managing to cook and eat while getting used to the crazy work timings I have."

Hermione smiled at his worries about feeding himself and asked , ' How is Molly now? She refused to talk to me. Our conversation got really out of hand before she decided she was done with it.'

Harry sighed, 'She is better now. George had to talk sense into her. He is here by the way. Wanted to help you with your books into the new house. Though from the looks of it, you do not need any help.' He said eyeing her tiny trunks which looked like they weighed nothing. He wasn't so sure how he felt about their growing friendship. While he was glad that George was there for her and could calm her down like he never could during Ron's accident and coma, he couldn't help but feel jealous. Hermione had been there for him through thick and thin for the last seven years. The least he could do is be there for her emotionally when she needed someone. But he found that George had been better at that. He sighed at the thought of Ron. He sighed a lot these days. He really wanted to see Ron up and around. He missed his best friend. He really hoped for his recovery, but it had been so long now. He didn't know if he would ever see him again. His heart throbbed painfully at that.

'That's great. I was actually hoping to meet George once before we left. I'm done, lets go down and face whatever Molly has in store for us' Hermione said.

They walked down with her trunks towards the kitchen where Harry kept his luggage as well. They found only Arthur, a puffy eyed Molly and George at the table. George smiled at Hermione when he noticed that she had been taking care of herself. She looked like she used to. Young and innocent. Like the Hermione Ron had fallen in love with. He couldn't help himself and got up from his seat to greet her and kissed her cheek. 'Nice to see you love.'

Hermione gave him a bright smile, the one Ron loved, 'Its great to see you too Georgy. How is the shop doing?'

'Its getting back on track. People are starting to shop again and we are now feeling the need to launch a new range of products. I have been trying to work on some ideas but its really difficult to do it without Fred around so its taking longer than usual. I'm sorry I haven't been in touch, that's the work that has been keeping me occupied. Well that and Angelina's weird cravings. This morning she wanted to have caramel popcorn for breakfast. Took a lot of convincing and emotional blackmail to get her to eat something healthy.' George finished.

Everyone laughed a little at that, having experienced Angelina's cravings and stubbornness first hand. 'Its okay I figured as much. Would you be able to join me for lunch tomorrow though? I can take an hour out from work.' Hermione asked. George gave her a puzzled look.

'Sure but since when did you want to willingly take out an entire hour from your work?! It's a little alarming!' He asked half jokingly.

She punched his arm lightly, 'Malfoys will be in office tomorrow to give their statements on their deplorable behaviour towards Dobby. Since I am too junior and barely have any say in that case, I would rather stay out while they are around. I will be at the shop by 1 tomorrow.' She quietly slipped him the note she wrote to Remus. She knew George would know what to do with it even though she wasn't so sure.

Harry who had been quietly watching the exchange said 'Its time to leave everyone, Hermione and I have to unpack and rest too.' Hermione proceeded to give Arthur a hug and kiss. When she turned to Molly, she couldn't stop a stray tear from falling. She held her tight and close. Molly returned the affection but said nothing.

Hermione stook back and picked up some of her luggage and went to fireplace, picking up some floo powder on they way. She stepped into the fire, thought of new beginnings and shouted 'Grimauld Place'. She landed at the old manor which reeked of familiarity, her childhood and Sirius. She dusted off her clothes and looked around. Kreacher had done a decent job at cleaning up the place. Harry and George joined her soon. Harry wordlessly took his trunks and walked up to his old room. She suspected it had to do with her and George's growing friendship. She knew he was a little jealous and possessive but she couldn't help it. She really needed George and the understanding he had to offer. She took his hand and walked up to her chosen room. There wasn't much, except for a bed, a dressing table, a wardrobe and an expansive bookself. George made a face on entering the room. When Hermione gave him a look, he said , 'It already smells like a library'. She laughed out loud at that. She hugged him. She felt his arms around her but he felt strangely rigid.

'I think I am falling for Ange.'

At his statement, Hermione went rigid too. She looked up at him as he stepped away and sat down at her bed. He palmed his eyes and rubbed them. She waited patiently for him to speak.

'Fred is going to be so mad at me for this. I can't help the way I feel. She is amazing. And beautiful. And she is Fred's girl. Pregnant with his kid. Hermione what do I do?' George said painfully.

'George I don't think Fred would be as mad at you for falling for her. She is a wonderful witch and I don't blame you considering the time you spend around her. But she is pregnant and alone. She is bringing up a child without its father. I don't think Fred would be mad at you for your feelings but he would be livid if he knew you weren't there for her in everyway she needs you.' Hermione reasoned.

George mulled over what she said and found that she had a point. She always did. How his retard for a brother found himself a girl like her was beyond him. He took her hands and kissed them. 'Thanks Hermione. I have been an idiot for focussing so much on myself and not Ange. I am sorry but I have to go now. Have a lot of things to sort out at my place and shop. I will see you at lunch tomorrow.' He kissed her cheek and hugged her again.

'You know I will always be there for you George' Hermione said looking at the twin adoringly.

He smiled, ' And I will always be there for you Hermione' and pulled lightly at her nose. He left to apparate.

Hermione looked around and began to unpack her life at her new house. A little afraid of what tomorrow would bring them.

Please do review!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns everything.

AN – Forgive me if everything is not factually correct. Facing a huge writer's block at the moment. Remus and Hermione will start to fall for each other after a couple of more chapters!

Please do review!

Chapter 6

Remus could only feel pain in each nerve ending in his body. He staggered in the rain towards the house. The full moon had been harder on him than usual. He even snapped out of his masochistic phase and had the Wolfsbane potion this time. Somehow the wolf just could not be tamed. The torrential English rain didn't help his wounds either. He was so exhausted he just wanted to get to a bed and collapse. He thought of Dora and her patience after the full moon. She always tended to him after every transformation. With his mind going into darker territories he stumbled through the wards at Grimauld Place. He knew Harry and Hermione had moved in a few days ago and he wasn't so sure if it would be a good idea to turn up like this seeing how their conversation went the last time. But he needed the familiarity, he needed the warmth, he needed to be close to Sirius and Harry. He didn't expect to bump into Hermione fully awake in a night gown with her wand drawn against him at the ungodly hour. Seeing Remus in such a state, she flinched slightly but did not withdraw her wand, instead she asked 'What is my patronus?', to which he easily replied it was an otter. Hermione helped him get to the sofa where she laid him down gently.

He was quite a sight. He looked terrible with his flesh bitten off in some places and scratched in others. He looked tired and a lot older. She felt his temperature and found that he was running a fever. She let him rest and catch his breath while she performed drying and warming charms on him. She helped him out of his jacket and shoes for which he gave her a grateful smile. He smiled. She had forgotten how sweet he looked when he smiled. She returned the smile, shook her head and went to get a few healing potions from her bathroom. As she went to drop off his jacket in the laundry basket, she found a worn out note fall out of one its pockets. Not being able to control her curiosity, she picked it up.

'I'm sorry Hermione. I never meant any of that. I'm sorry for being such an asshole'

She sighed. So he had apologised. Or at least wanted to. That meant he still wanted to be friends which was a good thing. She wondered what George did with her apology. They never really spoke about it when they met for lunch. She proceeded to get all the required potions and walked towards the sofa in the living room. She hadn't been able to sleep after she had dreamt about Ron dying at the hands of Bellatrix. It had been a terrible dream. The insane woman was using the same Cruciatus curse than she used on Hermione back at the Manor. The only fact that gave her comfort that Bellatrix was now in Askaban, where she could never reach her Ron.

She had gone down to make herself some tea when she felt someone coming through the wards. As the wards did not alarm her, she knew it must have been a friend but she went to check for herself anyway. After her nightmare, she wasn't feeling that safe anymore. She hadn't expected Remus to stumble through the door especially after their last encounter. But then again he might not have known she and Harry had moved in. in any case he definitely looked like he needed all the help he could get. She found him asleep at the sofa where she had left him.

She gingerly tried removing his shirt but woke him in the process. He got up and helped her with his shirt. She cleaned his wounds, applied Dittany wherever needed and bandaged most of his chest. At least his bleeding had stopped and his cheeks regained some of its colour. She looked up into his blue eyes. They were a very clear, cerulean blue that was very rare. Ron's blue eyes had specs of brown like most people did. But Remus's eyes looked like they had the real defective gene. From the little distance that was there between them, they looked almost intimidating and as though he could read her mind without the need for Legilimency. He looked at her guiltily and held her hand close to his chest.

'I'm really sorry Hermione' he started but she hushed him. 'Its okay Remus, I'm sorry too.' Hermione said.

'You had the decency to post an apology while I hid behind my ego. And here you are tended to my wounds when you should be sleeping. I'm a sorry excuse for a wizard.' He regretted.

Hermione decided to change the topic as she knew it would be useless trying to talk to him at that moment about their last encounter. 'Would you like some tea?' He nodded and followed her into the kitchen with a surprising agility considering the state he entered the house in some time ago.

'I didn't expect you to come here. Not that you are not welcome here. But I was under the impression that you would want time alone. Or maybe you did and didn't know Harry and I moved in a few days ago' , Hermione rambled on in an attempt to make small talk while she made tea.

'I don't know myself why I am here. And no I knew you both would be here. I guess that's why I am here. To not feel lonely. When will Harry be up?' he asked.

'It might be a while before he wakes up. He came in late last night after a difficult mission that he was not allowed to talk about. He must be exhausted so I guess you will be able to see him only around noon. Why don't you go rest your old room?' Hermione inquired.

'No I have to be at work in a few hours time. I just recently got a job at the research department of this private company that manufactures healing potions. They only give werewolves a few hours of leniency during the full moon and I don't want to botch up my record so early on. I'll just take a shower and leave in a while. I was hoping to talk to harry though. He seemed really mad at me the last time we spoke.' Remus informed her.

She was surprised to say the least. She didn't know the Ministry's efforts had made it so easy for werewolves to get stable jobs as the one Remus had. But then again Remus was brilliant in ways that most wizards were not so he was probably an exception. She also wondered about what happened the last time between Harry and their former professor who was now staring at his cup of tea. She knew it hadn't gone well for sure seeing how Harry refused to talk to anyone for the rest of the day. She needed to have a chat with Harry. She was starting to feel very disconnected with him and it had all been her fault. She kept pushing him away because she somehow felt he just wouldn't understand. And that was really horrible of her. After all he just wanted to be there for her.

They both fell into a silence while they sipped their tea. It wasn't really that uncomfortable as it should have been but that was probably because neither of them cared that much. The war had left them way too exhausted emotionally to really give a damn about societal niceties now. Hermione observed Remus for the second time. He seemed like he must have been well built when he was younger, now he looked like he had been starved and his big bones stuck out making him look poorer than he was. Despite that he had a very strong aura and he continued to come across as a very strong and resilient man. Even though he sat across her bare chested and bandaged, he did not look like he had just gone through the incredibly painful transformation from man to werewolf to man again in the last fourteen hours. Remus caught her eye and she politely looked away and continued to sip her tea.

A very groggy Harry Potter walked into the scene and was surprised to see his father's best friend and his best friend having tea in a civil manner like nothing had happened before. He guessed Remus had come to his senses and apologised after their very one-sided conversation in the very same kitchen. He also noticed Remus's bandages and put two and two together. He groaned inwardly as he remembered the events of last night. He would have to break the news to them sooner or later and being the Gryffindor that he was, he settled on later. He proceeded to pour himself a cup of tea and wished his companions a good morning. He settled himself next to Hermione and tried to figure out how to phrase his sentences while telling them of last night's events.

'Harry you don't look so good. Everything alright?' Remus asked him nervously. He smiled and replied, 'I could say the same for you, you know'.

'I think the Ministry supply of Wolfsbane isn't as strong as it should be. It must be difficult for them to produce it in large quantities having the same potency I guess' Remus replied. He knew something was up. Harry seemed disturbed in more ways than one. Even though he yet to snap out of his sleep completely, he seemed wound up. He hoped whatever that had happened last night hadn't been too devastating and that no one got hurt. From whatever he saw he figured Hermione was not in on whatever was troubling the boy. He couldn't help but notice Hermione. She was now looking peacefully out of the window. He never realised when she had grown into a young woman. It was wrong. It was so wrong for her to have grown up so fast. She did not deserve it and neither did Harry or any of his friends. The War had not just affected his generation but Hermione's too. Both were forced to grow up faster than they would have liked and both were forced to give up on their dreams and hopes. Hermione had looked so beaten up when he first saw her at her office after Ron's accident. She looked better now, like she had come to terms with it. But her eyes still seemed empty and void. They lacked the warmth that radiated from them. He wished there was something he could do for her. She felt his eyes on her and smiled at him, which he returned.

While Harry was mulling over his tea, the Daily Prophet landed infront of Hermione and eased his job. The headline was blaring and he heard her suck in a breath and Remus gasp.

**_DEATH EATERS ESCAPE FROM ASKABAN_**

**_Lestranges and Greyback amongst 12 others those who broke out of the prison_**

**_In a shocking incident, Death Eaters who were followers of the fallen Dark Lord, broke out of Askaban early in the morning while diverting the Dementors. The prisoners include the Lestranges, Carrows, Crabbe Sr, Nott Sr, Thorfinn Rowle, Traverse, Yaxley, Macnair, Greyback, Pius Thickennesse, Jugson and Avery Sr. How the managed to distract the feared guards in unknown and has raised many questions about an inside job at the Ministry and the efficiency of the prison. This is after all not the first time there has been a break out at Askaban._**

**_Even though the Aurrors at the Ministry were deployed immediately after the Minister was informed, they did not reach in time to be able to trace any of them. They suspect that they had help from the outside as all prisoners were wandless and there is a trace on them to track their magic. The team of Aurrors working on this mission is said to include The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter as well. They are working constantly in shifts to catch the prisoners as soon as possible. _**

**_The Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, has assured us that there is nothing to worry about. While talking to Daily Prophet via floo he said, 'We have some of our most trusted and skilled hands deployed to track them down. I beseech the wizarding community to stay strong and calm in such times. The Death Eaters have very little power at the moment and are directionless as they do not have a leader. We are looking into what aided them and will fix the security gaps at the earliest. Until then would request you all to not panic but remain vigilant at the same time.'_**

**_Shacklebolt is set to address the press and public today at the Ministry at 5pm. _**

Harry looked up from the paper and rubbed his eyes with his palms tiredly. Remus looked up at shakily, 'What does this mean Harry?'

'I don't know. I have to be at work in an hour's time. We will have to have an Order meeting soon. Kingsley wanted to have one tonight but from what I heard before I left, the press and certain sections of the Ministry are not letting him out of their sight. It cant be too dangerous though because the Ministry is keeping tabs on anyone who practices dark magic and the death eaters are wandless. I will let you know what is happening as soon as I get there. But be careful, I wouldn't venture out alone after dark and avoid all seedy locations.'

He noticed Hermione was in a trance. This must have hit her bad. His heart leaped out to her. He couldn't see her like this. Bellatrix had scarred her for life when she tortured her mercilessly and branded the word Mudblood onto her arm at the Malfoy Manor. Hermione constantly had nightmares. Ron was always able to calm her down but now that he wasn't there he wasn't so sure how would she deal with this all. He had to track them down and have them locked up for good if he couldn't get them to be incarcerated, he thought while grinding his teeth. He hugged his friend from behind and kissed her hair, trying to give her strength.

'Don't worry Hermione, I will have them all locked up before you know it. There is nothing they can do to you, they are on the run from not just the Dementors and the Ministry but also the public at large too. I doubt if they will even get a proper legal recourse if the public gets to them before we do.' Hermione nodded in return and squeezed his arm to show her appreciation. She knew he must be worrying about her now that Bellatrix is out. But her nightmare had been so real that she was actually worried for her Ron. He was in comatose and would not be able to protect himself if anyone attacked the Burrow. She even considered moving him into Grimauld Place but decided against it as the house was empty for most of the time and Molly would not be able to tend to him if he needed anything. She would have to talk to Arthur about the security wards on the Burrow for now.

Harry left her alone with Remus to get ready for work. Her former professor wordlessly went on to prepare breakfast for them while she read the article over and over again. The article had not given away much information but she supposed the Ministry had not allowed them to publish the finer details of the break out lest it helped some of the remaining Death Eaters to help regroup and trace them down. She thought about the Malfoy Manor but knew that it was too obvious a place for them to seek shelter in and the Malfoys were trying really hard to protect whatever little dignity they had left in society. She and Remus had breakfast in silence that was plagued with tension.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns everything.

AN: I feel like I am going way too slow on the build up. What do you guys think?

Please read and review! I am really mad because none of you review even though you have been reading. I really need inputs you know!

PS: I couldn't help but include a modified version of my favourite dialogue from English Patient! Let me know if any of you catch that!

Chapter 7

Everyone settled down around the elongated table in Grimauld Place's kitchen. It had been two days since the break out at Askaban and this was the first Order meeting since the Hogwarts and the Ministry had been restored. Remus couldn't help but feel a little nervous. The last time he had met most of them was before the Battle at Hogwarts. He felt a little naked and anxious under the gaze of so many of his old friends and acquaintances. He just muttered a quick hello to all of them and settled himself besides Angelina Johnson hoping she wouldn't draw too much attention to herself by speaking during the meeting thereby drawing him attention. Hermione on the other hand seemed strangely happy despite the reason for the meeting. It had been so long since she had seen some of her friends. The last time she had seen most of them was after Ron's mishap and at that time she was in a state of trance and was not aware of her surroundings. She mingled with most of the members, inquired about their lives and calmed their fears. She trusted Shacklebolt and the Aurrors working on the case. She also knew that most of the wizarding community had trained themselves fearing the worst in the War that had concluded just a few months back. Surely it wouldn't be so easy to attack them. Besides it would be really stupid of the Death Eaters to try and attack or even plot anything as the Ministry will not be so kind to them second time around.

She noticed Remus's discomfort and decided on not approaching him this time. He definitely didn't look like he was in the mood for conversation. She had grown strangely protective of him as she thought more of him over the past few days. It was probably because he was just as miserable as she was. She saw him take a chair next to Angelina who was positively glowing but looked scared. She notice George take a seat on her other side and place his arm over Ange's chair and watched her face break into a wide grin. Hermione turned and smiled to herself. If only Ron was here, she thought to herself. She missed him on days like these but she had made up her mind. She would wait till he recovered. She knew that many including Molly, Harry and George thought it was not fair to do so but she didn't have the strength to open up her heart to anyone else. Kingsley's voice broke her line of thought and she quickly settled next to Harry, looping her hand around his arm for comfort.

'Please settle down everyone' Shacklebolt requested the crowd from one end of the table. While everyone settled down, he scanned the crowd for his friends and colleagues. Most people seemed more angry than afraid. That could work towards his advantage he thought. He noticed his old friend Remus hiding away from everyone and felt heavy inside. He had been a horrible friend to him, not having enough time for the man because of his professional duties.

'I understand that everyone present here knows why we have assembled here.' Everyone nodded in response. 'With great regret I have to say that I have failed you all. As the Minister of Magic, it was my duty to protect you all and keep the Death Eaters under surveillance.' He raised his hand to silence those to started to protest. 'I am deeply apologetic about what has happened and I assure you that I will do everything in my power professionally and personally to make sure that they do not get away. From now on I would urge you all to attend these meetings on a weekly basis to stay updated on their movements in order to protect your loved ones. I also ask you to keep your eyes open and inform me at the earliest possible if you notice anything odd. We cannot rule out an inside hand helping out the Death Eaters at the Ministry but it looks highly unlikely. From whatever we have gathered, they want to avenge the fall of the Dark Lord and the Lestranges seem to be at the helm of everything. The Malfoys are still laying low and are yet to decide where their loyalties lie. We are reaching out to the family to try our best to keep them out of it and convince them that aiding the escaped prisoners. We have sealed the finances of all the Death Eaters thereby making it difficult for any sort of coup.'

He waited for the information to sink in and continued, 'Our team of Aurrors are working round the clock in shifts to ensure the streets are safe for you and your families. However we cannot be too safe. If any of you wish to volunteer your services, it would be greatly appreciated. I will send around a document stating that you are offering your services voluntarily at the end of the meeting which you can sign if interested. Post which we can work around a new schedule involving you. As of now I have no additional information that I can share with you but I will update you on everything by the next meeting when we should have more clarity on everything. Any questions?' when no one spoke up, he dismissed them and Hermione and Molly began serving food for the members while they signed up for surveillance. Each and every Order member had volunteered which made Kingsley feel a little relieved. Even though they had enough manpower at their disposal already, their unity gave him strength. Truth be told he was actually scared because they had so little information about escaped prisoners and their whereabouts. Now that they did not have a spy with them, they were clueless about their motive and were literally shooting in the dark. But the sight before him eased his worries slightly. The night went on with the members catching up with each other. Remus left as soon as he was done with dinner. Hermione stayed up till the very end bidding everyone good bye like a nice hostess.

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror one last time. It was the first time in ages that she had actually bothered to dress up. She had worn a lime coloured knee length dress with a sweetheart neckline with flat t-bar sandals. Her hair, which had lost its volume but still somehow retained its frizziness, was in a French plait. She couldn't get herself to put on any makeup today so she went for tiny dangler earrings. Overall she looked neat if not nice. She was really excited for today. She and Harry were finally going to see Ginny as it was a Hogsmeade weekend at Hogwarts. She picked up her sling bag and walked towards the living room where Harry was bouncing at the balls of his feet. She couldn't stop the hearty laugh that escaped her when she noticed he was wearing his best clothes and footwear. He wore a t-shirt that hugged his muscles well enough to define them but not tight enough for him to come across as a show off. He paired it up with jeans and converse shoes that made him look like the eighteen year old boy that he was rather than young man he looked when he put on his work robes. He even tried to tame his hair with muggle hair gel. He blushed and shrugged when she got down the stairs. He grabbed some floo powder and egged her on,'C'mon lets go lets go lets go! We only have a few hours you know!' Hermione just slapped her forehead in response and flooed her way to the Three Broomsticks. Harry followed her immediately after.

It didn't take them long to spot Ginny in the crowd of students and they settled themselves in a cosy booth in a corner of the pub and ordered for drinks. Ginny looked stunning even in the student robes with glowing skin and her fiery red hair. Ginny spoke almost too loudly, 'How are you guys?! I have missed you both so much! Hogwarts is not the same anymore without you guys around. Did you know Luna and Neville hooked up during the after party of the Gryffindor-Slytherin quidditch match?!'

"Yes Ginny you sent us a very detailed description of the hook up" both Harry and Hermione replied in a deadpanned voice. While they were surprised by the turn of events, they were very happy for both Luna and Neville, who was now an apprentice under Professor Sprout at Hogwarts. Even Hermione couldn't get herself to disapprove of the relationship that followed considering Neville was working there and it should ideally be forbidden for him to date a student. Ginny just laughed loudly in return. It was obvious that she was happy to see them and that brought a little bit of joy to Hermione, knowing that the girl loved her so much.

'You look great Hermione! I love the dress! Its been so long since you looked like yourself!' Ginny exclaimed.

'Thanks Ginny I had to put in an effort considering the amount of effort your boyfriend put in today!' Hermione replied and both the girls laughed, much to the boy's embarrassment.

'Oye! I just had to remind all the boys at Hogwarts about Ginny's hot boyfriend!' Harry retorted playfully. Both girls shared a look and burst out laughing because Harry just called himself hot.

The three of them fell into a playful banter and pulled each others legs. Even when they spoke about Ron and there being no developments in his recovery, they refused to be sad. It had been so long since they had been together that they refused to be upset about anything. They were friends and they were young so they continued to be hopeful together and gave each other strength to deal with the dark times. They also discussed the break out at Askaban briefly before the girls noticed how it was stressing Harry out and quickly changed the subject.

After almost two hours, they left the pub and Hermione left the couple giving them some much needed alone time. She decided on going to the bookstore for a bit before meeting Professor McGonagall at Hogwarts. Or Headmistress she supposed. She walked down the road to reach the quaint little bookstore Cyrano's that someone had recommended to her at work. It was supposed to house books that were centuries old and that were very rare. On reaching outside the store, she found that it was a weird little store. It had an owl that guarded the door who informed the store manager of her presence. She walked into the store and found that it was magically enhanced and was sprawling. She could smell the old parchment and took a deep breath. Today had been a very good day for her so far. She walked around the aisles and picked up a book on potions and took a stool to read it. It wasn't long before she lost herself completely in the book. It was a very interesting one which spoke about conspiracy theories revolving around potion experiments that were done by witches and wizards over the centuries that could help save and destroy humanity. Luckily for some and unluckily for the others, the potions never saw fruition due to some reason or the other. She was so fascinated by a potion that tried to alter time that she did not notice someone watching her closely.

'I am surprised by how much pleasure such a familiar sight is giving me' she looked up to see Remus looking at her with an odd expression on his face. 'Okay that came out a little creepy. Please excuse me. I have gotten rusty at social graces' Remus smiled at her.

Hermione felt her face break into a huge grin when she noticed how genuinely happy he seemed to see her. She guessed Kingsley had been talking to him a lot more now after the meeting. 'I had never imagined a day when the very articulate Remus Lupin would find himself embarrassed because of his use of words!' she teased him. He laughed and took seat on a nearby stool.

'That's a very interested read you have there. I had read it a few years ago and was very fascinated by some of the potions. A lot of them seem made up though because they seem too incredulous to be true' Remus said.

'Yes I felt that way about some potions too but I have long learnt to not question the possibilities magic brings with it. Do you come here often?' Hermione asked him.

'Yes I do. I find the lure of the collection of books here irresistible. Some of the books have been passed through for generations of the pureblood family that owns the store. The family is supposed to be an aristocratic one that lost all its money and property on hedonistic pleasures by the descendants. All they have now to survive on this bounty of knowledge that they sell. And its quiet here which works greatly in its favour.' Remus told her. She was fascinated by the history of the store. Now it made sense as to why it had come across as so ominous to her. They continued to talk about the history of the family for a little while after which they continued to read their books.

After what seemed like hours, Harry and Ginny burst in through the door, much to the annoyance of the manager. They looked dishevelled and worried. The look on their faces made Hermione's stomach turn. She knew it was something really horrible for them to look like that. Ginny had been crying making her eyes puffy and red. Harry looked like he did when Sirius died. Her mind immediately went to him. 'Is it about Ron?' she asked when they stopped infront of her and Remus.

Harry hesitated, 'He isn't dead Hermione. Not yet at least' and with that Hermione's world went blank.

Please do review!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer : JKR owns everything

AN: I am not even going to ask for reviews now L

Reggie fear not! Nothing terrible is going to happen! I would never be able to do that!

Chapter 8

Andromeda had a feeling something awful was about to happen. Every night she checked her plants to ensure that they were well watered and didn't need any additional nutrition. Most of the times they were calm and didn't make much of a noise. Today however they were screeching and wailing with their branches constantly pointing towards the door as if to warn her of the impending danger. She tried to figure out if something was amiss or if some magical creature had attacked her dear plants but couldn't find anything even after using various spells and charms. It was at times like these when she really missed her husband and daughter. It was at times like these that she remembered how truly lonely she was with no other wizard or witch to talk to. She briefly thought of flooing Remus but decided against it. The man had enough problems of his own to deal with hers too. She decided if it got worse she would just have to place a silencing or a calming spell on them and proceeded to go to bed. Just before she turned off the lights, she stopped to look at her reflection in the mirror. She hadn't realised how much she had aged in the last few months. She supposed the lack of laughter had caused those lines around her mouth. Maybe she could go meet Molly tomorrow. She brought a hand to her face, to the spot near her lips. The one that Ted loved to kiss so much. Just as she was reminiscing times with her late husband, she saw something flash by the window behind her in the mirror. Her heart stopped.

She should have known better. She knew who it was but just did not want to accept it. She silently strengthened the wards around her house and turned again to see her reflection and the mirror behind her. She could see her face coming closer towards the window, the face she knew so well, the face that was so much like her own but so much more cruel. She could see the maniacal grin on her sister's face. She had read about Bellatrix's escape and had also attended the Order meeting that followed. She never really took it too seriously though because she was now too unimportant and was an old hag with no family to lose. So instead she had fun talking to her old friends. Now she wondered what her younger sister wanted from her. The booms that followed with her windows crashing numbed her senses a little and her mind went fuzzy. She was not consciously trying to protect herself but found herself running and shouting out defensive spells. She had no idea how many people had come along with Bella so she couldn't take too many risks. While she tried to escape, she found that her mini garden had caught fire and all of her plants were either dead or dying with no hope. This brought on a strange kind of energy in her. They never knew who had killed her daughter but somewhere deep inside she knew it was Bella who was trying to get back at her.

She stupefied a black figure that was hiding in her kitchen. She figured her wards were weak but now she knew she had no chance if there were more of them. But in any case she was not going to let them get to her. She was never going to allow Bella to have that satisfaction of destroying her so completely even if she already had.

'This is no time to play hide and seek sister! You should come out and greet me! I knew you were the deviant one but our parents brought you up better than this! Where are your manners?!' she heard Bella laugh out cruelly.

She figured she must be somewhere in the foyer and decided to go up towards the attic. Out of nowhere the stairs ahead and behind her caught fire. 'Aguamenti' she shouted out feebly with her wand hand shaking fearfully. She was surprised when the spell worked and actually doused the fire. She had no option but to face her insane sister so she decided she might as well get done with it. As she came face to face with Bellatrix and three other death eaters, she cast a shield around herself.

'Well hello Bella, I see you brought your fellow prisoners along with you. I don't recall sending out an invite though. Did our parents not teach you not to be where you are not wanted?' Andromeda bit out coldly.

'Oh how I wish I could have avoided coming to your little shit hole Andromeda. Even my prison cell in Askaban was bigger than this' Bellatrix spat at her.

'Baubilious' Andromeda shouted emitting a bright light from her wand towards Bellatrix who was blown away by the impact and crashed into the wall behind her. She was not going to take any insult from the mad woman or any of her equally lowly friends who threw Crucios at her which were deflected by her now weakening shield. She ran towards her the sofa and uttered a quick 'Colloshoo' spell on the three death eaters effectively limiting their movement. She hid behind her worn out sofa and fired multiple stinging hexes to give her more time. She made a quick run to her door to apparate safely when the stupefied Death Eater from the kitchen threw a binding spell on her. She quickly used the confounding charm, undid her binds and ran hastily outside her door to apparate. Just as she felt her surroundings move and swirl around her, she could see Bellatrix running out with the killing curse which she couldn't complete. Andromeda was already in Remus's living room.

She cried out and fell to the floor. She broke down not caring for what Remus would think. She wailed and howled for what seemed like hours. She was making a mess on the floor as she was bleeding heavily where the glass shards had pierced her. She found herself incapable of forming any kind of thought, articulate or not. Her body had gone into complete shock mode. She began to shake uncontrollably and had trouble breathing. She tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths but found herself unable to do so. Her vision was already blurry from the tears when she felt her world go completely blank. After her crying and shaking subsided, her whole body went rigid for a few minutes where she still wasn't able to think. To anyone else it would have seemed like she was dead, but she could feel her own heart beat which oddly gave her some sort of comfort. She knew she hadn't been struck by the killing curse or any part of it because her heart was still in order. It probably had to do more with duelling after so many decades in her age.

Remus and Kingsley had just returned from a rather late dinner to the former's place for a few drinks only to find Andromeda Tonks lying on the floor on her chest in the living room. She was bleeding profusely with glass still stuck to her back , arms and legs. Her face looked like it was still in shock and the only movement that suggested that she was still alive was that her eyes blinked every few minutes. The both men rushed to her and levitated her onto a bed where they proceeded to clean her up and remove the glass. They tended to her wounds silently and forced some calming drought down her throat. They both worked in silence around the gentle woman. Neither of them had to utter a word to know who was capable of such a thing. The escape of the Death Eaters seemed much more real to Remus now whose life was hardly affected by the incident. He felt sick to the stomach with guilt for not protecting Andromeda. While he had strengthened the wards around his house and allowed only her the right to apparate inside it, there was so much more that he hadn't done. All he had done was casually place a few wards around her house which obviously gave way to Bellatrix and her minions. Dora would have been so mad at him for not caring about her mother. He shared a look with Kingsley and walked out of the room to the kitchen to get his thoughts in order.

He had always loved Andromeda. She was kind, loving and very generous even though she was a descendant of the Black family. She and Ted had always looked after him as their own when they realised their Dora had fallen for him. Even his lycanthropy did not bother them and they gave him their blessings and full support on their wedding. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself. This was a lot worse than they thought. From the looks of it, Andromeda had definitely duelled with more than just Bellatrix. If they were already attacking blood traitors in groups, it meant they had a plan in place and were not going lie low. There was no way he could allow his mother in law to live alone now. He would have to make space for her in his dingy and cramped apartment and strengthen the wards. An Order meeting will now be necessary.

He walked back in to see Andromeda sitting up on the bed looking grim while Kingsley tended to the last of her wounds. 'I am going to call for an Order meeting tomorrow at 8 am. I know you need rest Andromeda but you need to be there. I will take your leave now. Have to inform the Aurrors and my Cabinet.' Kingsley said. Remus just nodded to him and went on to take his place by his mother in law's bed. He wordlessly took her hand in his and squeezed it.

'My plants tried to warn me you know. Tried sending me signals. I didn't quite catch them though. She killed them all' He heard her say and looked up at her. She didn't even bother to elaborate on who killed them which meant that it was painfully obvious that Bellatrix would come after her blood traitor sister first when she got free. Remus gritted his teeth in anger directed at himself for not having thought of it earlier.

'I am sure they must be glad you got out safe though. Are you hurt anywhere?' Remus tried changing the topic.

The frail woman shook her head and closed her eyes gently. He helped her lay down and left the room allowing her to catch on some much needed sleep. He sent out a note to Harry asking if he could camp along with Andromeda at the Grimauld Place for a few days till they could figure something out. Remus lived like a vagabond with little or no food in the kitchen, his house was like a damp swamp which hadn't been cleaned in ages and even most of the books were either related to his work or dark magic. Andromeda would have a lot of difficulty adjusting to these surroundings and would have very little to do when Remus would be away at work. He proceeded to strengthen the charms around his apartment once more, crosschecking for any sort of leaks or weak spots. He removed his shoes and slept on the couch in the living room. Tomorrow was going to be along day.

*Scene 2 (I have no idea how to show a change of scene so if you could help me out that would be great. Okay sorry for disturbing you, back to the story)*

Hermione's muscles had a dull ache in them due to lack of sleep. The attack on 's house had wrecked the entire Burrow. Everyone was worried and scared. They were supposed to lay low, not attack their relatives. She sighed as she put the belt around her waist while getting ready for the meeting. She had lost so much weight in the last week that her clothes hung off her. Ron had given then quite a scare when his heart beat slowed down dangerously. Luckily the healers gave him a potion that kickstarted his heart just in time. Just the thought of losing Ron was enough for her to lose all her sleep. Even Harry had become more withdrawn, barely talking to anyone outside of work. She stayed over the Burrow and was going to return to Grimauld Place today. She was going to skip work today. After hearing about yesterday's attack, she was in no mood to go to work, do mundane paperwork and pretend like nothing happened.

With a quick check on Ron, she flooed to her home along with Molly. Almost everyone was there in their work robes and were bustling around for tea and coffee. She spotted and went up to her with Molly. She looked grim but unhurt otherwise. Remus was sitting beside her and was conversing with Aberforth Dumbledore in hushed tones. They looked up and gave them brief smiles and good mornings before returning to their conversation. Molly gave Andromeda a tight hug and started to cry. They had become close during the war and she could not have imagined what she must be feeling at the moment after being attacked by her own sister so viciously. Hermione just smiled and muttered a polite 'I hope you are feeling better now' as she was rather awkward around the woman. She had never spent a lot of time with the aged woman but she inherited the affection she had for Nymphadora.

She took a seat beside Molly and waited for the meeting to start. She not move around the room greeting people as she had the last time. The atmosphere was so sombre that no one really spoke out loud. She spotted Neville and Hagrid at this meeting who flashed her genuine smiles. Harry walked in a few minutes later looking haggard and much thinner like herself. She pointed to the empty seat next to her and he took it sighing in the process. He was overworked, underfed and sleep deprived. Ron's scare didn't help either. He had gone back to blaming himself for everything including the break out of the Death Eaters. Hermione gave up trying to talk sense into him after a few heated arguments.

Kingsley cleared his throat and everyone settled down around the living room this time. 'Good morning everyone. As you have all heard Andromeda's house was attacked last night by bellatrix Lestrange and four other Death Eaters which is why we are here right now. Our sources tell us that the other four prisoners included her husband, Crabbe Sr, Nott Sr and Macnair. All of them are close to the Lestranges and Malfoys which is why we need to tread very carefully. It doesn't look like the Malfoys were very impressed by our offers of protection and returned social standing. Clearly even though there are just a dozen of them, we cannot underestimate them. They are still able to catch us unaware and attack us. Andromeda's house is burned to dust and there was little that we could salvage from the remains.' He heard shocked expressions, gasps and expletives from those present.

'For this reason, we will now have to start training ourselves in addition to our weekly meetings. While again our Aurrors are doing their best to keep us safe, we need to do everything in out power to ensure that these murderers do not get what they want.' He knew as the Minister of Magic it was improper for him to call them murderers even though that's what they were but he had to make a point right now. The members discussed tactics and possible motives of the escaped prisoners but could not come to any conclusion. They could not find any logic in their attack. After scheduling the next meeting for just after Christmas, which was 3 days away, they all left to get to work or their daily routines. Remus, Andromeda, Hermione and Harry were the only ones left.

'Thanks for letting us stay the both of you. We really appreciate it.' Remus said. Hermione looked at him with a confused expression.

'They are staying with us because Remus cannot maintain his house well enough to allow his mother in law to stay there' Harry tried to joke.

'I am sorry for all the trouble. This is all my fault. I should have been more vigilant. I don't know why I didn't take Kingsley's warning seriously.' Andromeda said holding her head in her hands.

'Its not your fault , none of us thought they would try to attack us so soon. And Bellatrix has always been so unpredictable, you can never really know with her' Hermione tried to reason with her. Remus and Harry agreed with her.

Hermione went on to set up two rooms for the guests after re-heating Molly's breakfast for them. She chose the rooms right next to her own for Remus and Andromeda as it was the second closest to the famed Black Library. She heard the shuffling of luggage and Remus comforting a crying in the next room. She sat uncomfortably on Remus's bed not knowing what to do. They had obviously left the door open and she would have to pass it in order to get anywhere and she definitely didn't think would be able to help the woman right now. She was too much of a mess herself these days to be able to help anyone else. She got lost in her own thoughts and didn't hear Remus enter the room. He smiled at her and asked, 'How is Ron now?'

'He is better, they stabilised him after giving him a huge dose of magical potions and muggle medicine. They still cant tell when he will wake though.' She replied.

'Well I definitely hope that doesn't happen again. You weren't light to carry and that coming from a werewolf says quite something you know' Remus said in an attempt to lighten the mood. She fell into a smile and lightly punched his shoulder. She should have left but she placed her hand on his arm, feeling his lean muscles. 'Remus I know things haven't been the same and that we have changed, but I want you to know that I will always be there for you. I am actually glad that you chose to stay with us because then I can keep an eye on you and Andromeda, make sure you guys aren't denying yourselves of life's little pleasures.' She didn't know why she was being so open about how she felt but it seemed right. She hadn't been completely honest with anyone but George in a really long time about her feelings. He swept her up in a tight hug and held her like a very dear friend. His werewolf senses were overwhelmed by her intensity of her smell. Funnily enough she smelt like a pleasant mix of roses and old parchment.

It had been a while since Hermione felt safe. As Remus held her, she felt her worries dissolve and felt calm like she hadn't in a long time. As the naughty thought struck her brain, she couldn't help but sniff her former professor a little even though it was highly inappropriate. Luckily for her, he didn't seem to notice and she stifled a giggle. Funnily enough he smelt like a pleasant mix of musky cologne, sand and old parchment.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I'm no God. JKR is.

AN: Yo peeps! Spare a few reviews? At least for this one? I can see how many of you are reading this you know! This one had some nerdy HGRL action :P (FINALLY!) but nothing too explicit.

And also I took hours to write this one. So some encouragement would definitely make for a good reward!

Chapter 9

It was Christmas Eve and as tradition had it, it was snowing and was mind-numbingly cold. Standing in the middle of a cemetery didn't help Remus's condition either. Despite standing in such a sombre place infront of his wife's and child's grave, he felt oddly content. He was done fighting what his life had become. He had come to accept there was little he could have done to protect them and all he could do is hope that they were in a better place. He and Andromeda grieved together over the last few days. Surprisingly Andromeda's presence had given him strength and he wasn't so sure if it had worked the other way around too. He held his measly coat tighter around him as he took in a deep breath. His missed the way Dora felt in his arms, the way she smiled at him shyly when he caught her doing something he had prohibited her from doing or when she broke something, the way she would run her fingers through his hair after a full moon night lulling him to sleep. He sighed. If only he could kiss her once more, tell her that he loved her so completely with all her perfections and imperfections. If only he could tell her how beautiful she was and how grateful he was to her for making his life worth living and giving him so much more than he could ever hope for.

His heart was filled with warmth despite the cold on the outside as he thought of their times together. He smiled as he remembered her attempts at cooking for him, redecorating the house which resulted the carpets to be in bubblegum colours, her waking him up in the early hours of the morning to make love, her mood swings during the pregnancy and how she held him close every night afraid he would leave her. He sighed again as he thought of the time when he left her thinking he had effectively ruined her life. If it hadn't been for Andromeda's and Ted's understanding nature, he had no idea what would have happened to them. He looked at his unborn child's grave. They had named it Lupin Jr even though they didn't know if it was a boy or girl. Below the name was inscribed 'To the heavens, we give you our littlest angel'. He wasn't so sure how he felt about it seeing it was Minerva, its Godmother who had chosen it. Dora's grave did not have any inscription other than 'Wife, Mother, Daughter and Friend' on it. He added one to it, 'We never know of the angels amongst us, in our homes'. It seemed fitting seeing as she was like one that came into his life during his darkest times and turned it around. He left the flowers that he brought along at their graves and turned to walk towards the gate. He decided on taking the Knight bus instead of apparating back to Grimauld Place, giving him more time to think.

He paid for his ticket and continued to ponder because he was the never the kind who could just not think for a while. His job was much better now that he had started understanding the entire process. Though he didn't know how he felt about his boss who seemed more keen on profits than magical discoveries and inventions, he had grown to love his job. It kept him busy and paid him enough to satisfy all his needs. It was probably the best job he had since he graduated other than his brief stint at teaching at Hogwarts. At least the war had made things much more easier for him in that sense, providing him with the stability of a job and protection of the law on paper. It was more than what he had when Dora was pregnant. He was also able to save now for the future, even though he wasn't so sure if he had much of a future. After Dora he was sure to never find love but the more he thought about it, the more he felt he didn't have the capacity to love like that anymore either. The full moon transformations at regular intervals, all the duelling the war brought on, losing all of the Marauders, 0his friends, Dora and the child had taken a toll on him. He felt like he was too old to be able to feel emotions as young as love again. His aging body didn't help his case either.

As he made his way to Grimauld Place, he ticked off names in his head for whom he bought gifts for, hoping he hadn't missed out on any. He had been a real jerk to everyone during the last six months and he hoped to rectify it. He and the other residents of Grimauld Place were to visit the Burrow the next day for Molly's Christmas lunch. For the first time in what felt like years, his mouth salivated at the thought of food like a real dog. He chuckled to himself thinking Sirius and James would have been proud of him, salivating at the thought of a good lunch even in this age. His thoughts went to Ron and his predicament. For Hermione's sake he hoped that the boy would recover soon even though it seemed highly unlikely. The girl was punishing herself by swearing off love until Ron came back. It was very stupid but also very noble. She was young and was more of a woman now. Even her mind and body stood testament to that. She should live while she can. But then again love has a strange effect on those inflicted by it.

As he entered, he found Harry and Hermione decorating the Christmas tree in the living room. They looked like they were doing a horrible job of it but Remus did not want to burst their bubble. The wireless was playing Christmas carols and Andromeda was sitting by the fire, reading a book and smiling to herself. Even Harry looked a little healthier with the Christmas spirit but he suspected it had more to do with Ginny being back. It felt nice coming back to them rather than an empty house. Remus shrugged out of his coat and poured himself some Firewhisky. He watched Hermione get onto a rickety ladder it order to put the star at the top of the tree. He knew what was going to happen next. He just didn't know if he should catch her fall like what was the polite thing to do or just sit back and laugh at her laugh like he would have if Sirius was around. Before he could make his mind, the ladder gave way and luckily Harry caught her some what weirdly but that didn't stop Hermione from emitting the weirdest dog-like yelp that made everyone laugh. Hermione's embarrassed expression made him laugh all the more while he catalogued the black lacy underwear he caught sight of under her skirt for random information that he could use against her in their banter later.

'Alright that's enough, since you both men weren't doing the job I stepped in. Now would any of you step up and do the right thing and finish the job?' Hermione huffed out in annoyance which led to another spate of giggles from Harry and Remus.

'Now really its not even that funny. The poor girl could have hurt herself. Are you alright dear?' Andromeda asked which did anything but abate the giggling of the grown men in the room. Hermione couldn't help but chuckle to herself and Harry placed the star rather giddily on the tree. They proceeded to have the delicious dinner that was prepared by Andromeda who retired to her bed rather early leading the other three residents to drink. While Hermione stuck to muggle vodka that she had taken a liking to, the men chose Firewhisky. Even though Hermione had gone drinking with Harry previously, she had never been around a drunk Harry when Ginny was not around. A drunk Harry with Ginny usually liked to grope her and kiss her. But a drunk Harry minus Ginny was an adorable albeit creepy lovesick puppy much to the annoyance of Remus. Hermione and Remus even started a drinking game where they would take a shot every time he spoke of Ginny which went pretty out of control after ten minutes because all he spoke of was his goddess Ginny.

'I swear! Its like her hair is a beautiful waterfall of pomegranate juice! It makes me thirsty for more!' Harry said slurring. Remus and Hermione shared a look and burst out laughing at his analogy.

'Her smile makes me feel like a Celine Dion song and makes me wanna go like

_"I wish I could disappear, _

_the voices inside so real; _

_but you stood by my side, _

_night after night; night after night;_

_You loved me back to Life, life_

_From the coma;_

_We lovers again tonighttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt"_

Harry continued to croon but his companions were starting to develop a headache. They both shared a look which said 'We need to get him to shut up RIGHT NOW' and Remus levitated the crooning Celine Dion of a Harry Potter to his room along with Hermione. Harry strangely fell asleep the second his head touched the pillow. Remus watched as Hermione removed his glasses and shoes and tucked him in. He felt a strange sort of pang in his chest because no one took care of him the same way. 'You never do that for me' he blurted out without thinking. Hermione looked at him and burst out laughing when she realised he was talking about her mothering over Harry. 'No from what I remember I did exactly that when stumbled through the door during the last full moon' she replied and laughed more. The vodka had made her rather giggly and Remus had put an arm around her waist to steady her. 'Are you tired now? Do you want to retire to your bed?' Hermione asked him and Remus let out a very Sirius-like laugh. "My darling, even I don't use phrases like 'retire to bed' anymore" which led them both to more giggling. They head each other while they steadily climbed down the stairs to get to the kitchen to resume drinking but found themselves unable to move at the bottom of the staircase. They both tried taking a step further but felt like something was pushing their feet back to their present position. Hermione almost toppled Remus when he whispered 'Mistletoe' and pointed to the ugly plant above their heads. Their predicated sobered both the adults for a bit. Just a bit. Before they fell into another set of giggles.

'Oh Merlin this is going to be so awkward' Hermione said.

'Why?! I am not that bad a kisser even though I may have gotten rusty at it!' Remus defended.

'No silly its because you are my former professor. You know how I feel about professors and authoritative figures!' Hermione said while her cheeks turned a bright pink at the double meaning behind her statement which made Remus raise his eyebrows.

'No I'm afraid I don't know, would you like to show me how you feel about authoritative figures ? Remus whispered close to her ear.

They both froze when they looked at each other for a moment and burst into another set of giggles at his feeble attempt at seduction. This led to them tripping under the mistletoe with Hermione on top of Remus on the floor. 'That was like the worst chat up line ever used on me!' Hermione said which laughing uncontrollably.

'I guess I have gotten rusty at my skills. Lets just kiss and get over this before you inflate my ego any further' Remus replied and quickly pecked her lips in an attempt to not make it too awkward later. They tried to pry their limbs from each other but the mistletoe had other plans. Not satisfied by the display of love, it bound them together even tighter. Now the two drunk induviduals suddenly seemed very awkward not knowing what to do. Magical mistletoes were a pain to deal with, which is why both personally preferred muggle ones. But Andromeda had put her foot down about doing the decorations her way.

'Okay lets just get done with this and pretend like it never happened like all mature adults don't do' Hermione said with an awkward smile and pressed her lips to Remus. His lips felt chapped but were warm and moist against hers rousing certain emotions that she thought were long dead in her. She consciously tried to not think of the fact that he was her favourite professor at school and that he was Nymphadora's husband. She lips moved against his on their own accord and went a little stiff when he flicked his tongue over her lower lip. The vodka got to her and she bit his lip in return, tasting him when he let out a small gasp. While their tongues battled for dominance, they felt the mistletoe's hold on them loosen. They separated only when it they needed air and found their positions switch with Remus on top of her with his arms holding her body very close. While breathing in, they both seemed to have come to their senses and Remus quickly got off her and held his hand out to her while trying not to think of how the wolf in him wanted to rip the black lacy underwear that was beneath her skirt and taste her there. She took his hand and steadied herself. The adults who seem pissed drunk before were now very sober.

'I think you definitely need a reality check. That kiss was nothing more than a 5 on 10' Hermione joked hoping to relieve some of the tension between them.

'I think I need to give you a reminder of how exactly you jumped on the poor old man' Remus only half joked and poured himself another Firewhisky. There was no way in hell he could have faced her sober now. Hermione stayed away from her vodka not trusting herself anymore. It had been a while since she had been with someone and she had to admit that she had come to find Remus attractive. He was still her late friend's husband and her sick boyfriend's favourite professor too. The thought of Ron made her feel a little guilty. But it was the mistletoe's doing anyways there was little she could have done.

'Thanks but no thanks I am definitely passing this opportunity. One kiss from you is enough to scar me till the next Christmas' Hermione replied just because she had to in order to avoid the thick silence that threatened to blanket them.

'Again you really know how to boost a man's ego' Remus smiled. It had taken a while to get over his sudden urges but he had to be the more mature one amongst the two of them. Besides it was just a joke the mistletoe liked to play on unsuspecting witches and wizards at this time of the year. 'I suppose you would like to go to bed now?' he said without thinking in order to keep the conversation away from the kiss they shared before.

'No, not really. I hardly sleep these days anyway. I've become a slave to insomnia.' Her answer surprised both of them.

'Would you like me to help you with a sleep draught?' Remus asked.

'No' she shook her head. 'I don't like taking medication unless its necessary. The more traditional part of my brain thinks I'll become too weak and dependent on them. Besides I don't really know how I feel about potion companies selling you products that are more harmful than helpful labelling them as a necessity.'

'You forget I work for one of them' Remus said smiling slightly.

Hermione froze in horror 'That is not what I meant I – just- ' she stammered while he just laughed.

'I know what you meant Hermione, I was just teasing you. I feel the same way but I have learnt a lot while working for them about medicinal potions. I can actually help you with the least harmful potions for your sleep disorder' he said hoping to be of some help to someone at least.

'I'll let you know if it gets too bad. I don't think I want to have any at this point. I plan on going to Cyrano's the day after. Would you like to join me?' she asked him excited at the prospect of spending time with someone who loved learning as much as she did.

'I'd love that!' Remus said breaking into a very boyish grin which drew Hermione's attention to his lips and teeth. Until a few minutes ago Remus was just Remus to her. Now he was a man whom she found attractive in a very classic way, with sandy brown hair that looked better unkempt like it was now than neatly combed and a very deep voice that made the back of her knees tingle. He had a full mouth with straight teeth and a rather long nose which she had the strangest need to lick suddenly. She hook her head and silently cursed herself for drinking too much. 'I think I will try giving sleep a try now. Merry Christmas Remus' she said in an attempt to get away.

Disappointed that she was 'retiring to bed' earlier than thought he got up to wish her 'Merry Christmas Hermione and good night' he said giving her the customary kisses on her cheeks which turned out to be a bad idea seeing how that made her blush. Maybe she was retiring to bed early because she liked his company he mused. She just smiled shyly and walked out of the kitchen. Remus finished the rest of his Firewhisky and went to bed too. The last thought that struck him before he fell asleep was that they were going to Cyrano's the day after. He already regretted his decision of going with her. An afternoon of books and conversation with Hermione, his former student twenty years his junior should not be a turn on for him.

Oh boy.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer : All characters belong to J.K Rowling

AN: REVIEW!

Or you might just find something or someone you don't want under your bed at night.

Chapter 10

Hermione got up before her alarm could wake her up. It was Christmas and no one is their right mind slept their way through the day. Even if they barely slept the previous night because They couldn't get attractive DADA professors out of their drunken minds. Somehow her gift for Remus seemed much more important this morning and she hoped he would like it. She quickly got dressed and made a dash to Harry's room in order to stop thinking about the man in the room right next to hers. She jumped onto Harry's bed and heard an incessant string of curses and groaning from the lump below her. Giggling, she uncovered the sleeping beauty and shouted 'Happy Christmas Harry Potter!'.

'Gerrof me woman' was the only reply she got as the grumpy princess held his head and covered his eyes.

Remembering his drunken state last night, she practically skipped to the kitchen in joy to get some bread and ran back to her best friend. 'I want you down in ten to unwrap the gifts! We have to rush to the Burrow soon after. And have the bread, it will soak up the alcohol in your system.' She said, keeping the bread by his bed.

She ran back to her room and went through her wardrobe for something nice to wear to the Burrow. She hadn't felt the need to buy anything this Christmas but now she felt really stupid for not getting herself anything. She finally settled on a blue V- neck blouse with jeans, boots and a pea coat. It was simple but then again the cold this year had seriously limited her options. It was just never warm enough. She went out to greet Andromeda and bumped into Remus on her way. Her hand immediately went to flatten her hair. She froze. Hermione Granger never flattened her hair. Remus have her a nervous smile and said 'happy Christmas again Hermione'. Hermione very consciously tried to get her hand far away from her hair which seemed to be a complete mess at the moment. Hadnt she combed it like fifteen minutes back? 'Happy Christmas to you too Remus' she said trying to sound more womanly. Hermione seriously needed some thinking to do. It was just a kiss. A very real one but just a kiss.

Andromeda broke their tension by giving them both a hug and a peck on the cheek while wishing them. The three of them walked together towards the kitchen with Andromeda in the middle talking about how she and Ted used to celebrate Christmas with his family when they were younger. Hermione made themselves some tea and toast while the hung over sleeping beauty finally decided to make an appearance. Harry was greeted by warm hugs and kisses from the women and a pat on the back from Remus who seemed a little too stiff for Christmas. Harry shrugged it off as Remus being a real Remus on a day like this. He felt like crap but it was Christmas so he wasn't going to let anyone dampen his mood. He would get to see all his friends and family today and that meant a lot to him.

With Harry back in the same room as her, Hermione started to feel light hearted again and said 'Lets unwrap our presents! I cant wait any longer!'. Harry and Hermione tried to push each other out of the way in order to get to the presents first. Hermione got her customary jumper from Arthur and Molly, a pretty scarf from Ginny, a book on the most practical jokes for the practical from George which had her huffing, a diary from Harry that never ran out of pages which she loved and a selection of postcards from Andromeda of Hogwarts and the wizarding world from her time. She had been carefully avoiding Remus gift until then. She wondered if she should open McGonagall's gift or his next. Sensing his eyes on her since a long time, she decided to open his. What she saw took her breath away. How did he know she wondered? Her hands shook as she held the gift. She looked at Remus with unshed tears in her eyes which led to him doubling over in laughter. 'Come on Hermione they are just tickets to stage adaptation of Antony and Cleopatra, not a lottery or something' he was stopped by a huge mass of human that was flung at him. 'Its not just any stage adaptation! It's the one starring Ralph Fiennes as Antony! I've been dying to get my hands on these but they were all sold out by the time I went to them!' Hermione said and started to almost sob which made Remus very awkward. He couldn't help but smile at her. He never thought Hermione was the kind that was into the whole gushing over pretty men which was such a normal thing to do.

'Okay now that you have given me my best Christmas gift ever,' "OYE" Harry interrupted her. She rolled her eyes and continued ' I feel like you are going to be disappointed by my gift.' She nudged her gift towards him. She really loved her gift and hoped what she gave him could match up to it at least a little. His eyes lit up when he unwrapped his vinyl. She let out the breath she was holding, so he did like it! 'How did you know I like Bach?' Remus asked her out of genuine surprise. 'I didn't, you just seem like that the kind that would be into that kind of music' she replied. Andromeda and Harry shared a look after they saw the gifts Remus and Hermione had gotten each other.

'You both are the dorkiest people I've met in my entire life' Andromeda said which made all of them laugh. They all proceeded to their rooms to change and head to the Burrow. Hermione was so excited at the thought of seeing Ralph Fiennes in flesh that she beamed once more at Remus who just shook his head in amusement as she entered her room. She tied up her hair in a French plait as that was the only way it was going to stay in place all day and put on her clothes and waited for Harry and the others by the fireplace, humming to herself. Remus was the first to come down wearing jeans, boots, a checked shirt and a tweed jacket. She couldn't help but notice the strong muscles on his shoulders as he walked down. She dusted off the imaginary lint on her coat to keep herself busy as she started to feel the previous awkwardness creeping in on her again. She couldn't comprehend as to why she was feeling this way for Remus all of a sudden. She didn't have time to mull over it as Harry and Andromeda soon followed him and they flooed to the Burrow.

Molly smothered them on their arrival, saving the biggest hug for Hermione. 'You look beautiful today Hermione. Its hard to see you all grown up like this. It wont be long before a handsome boy will whisk you away from me', Molly whispered into her ears. Hermione chuckled nervously and shook her head. She should have countered Molly and told her that only her son would be the one whisking her away from the Burrow but it had become apparent that Ron was not going to get up anytime soon. She made her way through the house greeting everyone with hugs, kisses and love. George seemed to be in a particularly good mood as the baby kicked in Angelina's womb every time he said something. The whole atmosphere was light and tension free for the first time in years. Granted the Death Eaters were still out, at least they didn't have Voldemort around trying to take over the world.

She walked up to Ron's room and kissed him on the forehead. His hair had gotten longer and a cut could be necessary soon. He didn't have a stubble today so she guessed Molly must have taken care of that. She left her letter to him under his pillow, not knowing if it will ever be read. She noticed the his gifts were kept at the foot of his bed. So they still hoped. She wiped away her tears as she tried to leave the room, but couldn't tear her eyes away from his innocent face. Her Ron. He had always been such a simple guy with simple needs. There was no pretence with Ron, he was always very honest with her and could never keep a secret from her. Hearing Ginny call out to her for lunch, she had no option but to leave the room. She didn't want her to see her cry on Christmas as that would probably set off the entire Weasley clan.

On her way out she bumped into Remus at the stairs. Noticing the red eyes, Remus asked her 'Is everything okay?'. He didn't need to ask to know she was coming from Ron's room but he did out of courtesy. She nodded at him and gave him a watery smile. 'I am as good as I could be today' she said. Remus's heart sank a little, it was his first Christmas without Dora too but Hermione was not dealing with it as well as he was. He walked down with her, deciding to raid Arthur's small collection of books later. He took her hand in his and rubbed her thumb in an attempt to soothe her. Oddly, he felt responsible for her now and didn't want her to be upset about anything on such a day. 'You do indeed look beautiful today Hermione' he said recalling Molly's words to her. She blushed a little and smiled at him, unable to formulate a sentence from trying not to cry. The colour made her look adorable and closer to her age. She hardly ever looked nineteen to him these days. The grief had aged her and he missed the youthful spark in her eyes every time she got into an argument with someone. He consciously tried not to think of the kiss they shared the previous night but her smell had made it a little hard to repress memories of how soft her body felt benath his. She let go of his hand as they entered the kitchen and smiled at him again. His hand felt cold suddenly.

Hermione was somewhat glad she had bumped into Remus on her way down. She needed the comfort he gave her when he held her hand. Even his smell calmed the turmoil that stirred every time she saw Ron. It was a little inappropriate to be able to recognise his smell but she couldn't chastise herself. She wanted a weak moment with Remus. She needed him to hold her close to him. She needed him to tell her it would all be okay and that it was okay for her to be selfish. She wondered if Ron would ever forgive her for her treacherous feelings for their former professor that had risen due to their little encounter under the mistletoe. It had been so long since she had felt love in her veins that it was starting to affect her judgement. She wanted more of Remus. He was not Ron, but she knew he would never judge her. She felt her cheeks warm when he told her she looked beautiful. With her thoughts entering dangerous territory, she thought it was best to let go of his hand. He was just trying to be a good friend to her after all.

Lunch was a noisy affair with everyone shouting at the top of their voices across the elongated table. George drove everyone mad by constantly talking gibberish just so the baby would kick. Angelina finally had to twist his ears painfully to shut him up as it was getting difficult for her to eat anything with the baby kicking and rolling so much. George gave out a yelp and shut up for precisely 7 long minutes. Amongst all the noise and commotion, Hermione and Remus remained mostly quiet, talking only when spoken to. Remus grew increasingly worried about her demeanour. She was ecstatic in the morning with her play tickets, gifts and Christmas in general. He didn't know what had caused the sudden change in her. She looked troubled and lost in her thoughts. He wondered if it was because she was feeling guilty about the kiss. But he doubted it had affected her as much as it had affected him. Little did he know it was the kiss itself that had troubled Hermione so much. She felt as though she was cheating on Ron. It hadn't even been that long since his accident and she was already lusting after a man who was married to one of her closest friends. She felt dirty and was disgusted by herself. She felt someone watching her and looked up to find Remus looking at her worriedly. She felt dirtier than before. She managed to throw him a small smile and went back to eating. She tried catching George's eye but he was too preoccupied today. Harry too was occupied with Ginny. She felt incredibly lonely.

After she helped clean up the kitchen with Molly, she went to seek out George. She found him in his and Fred's old room looking for something. 'Hey' she said in a rather small voice and sat on one of the beds. George stopped rummaging through the boxes and looked at Hermione. She looked upset. He went and sat down on his knees on the floor and took her hands in his. 'Is everything okay love?' he asked and pushed her hair behind her ear. 'Sort of Georgy. I'm not really sure though' Hermione replied. She sighed and continued, 'Would you ever hate me for moving on from Ron?'. George smiled and shook her a little, 'Isn't that what we have been telling you all along?! That you need to move on? I would never hate you Mione. You have given my brother so much more than he could have ever asked for. You stood by his side through the best and worst of times. You put your own life in danger multiple times to save his. You have done things for Ron that most of us haven't. No one would ever hate you for moving on, which by the way is the right thing to do. None of us know if Ron will ever wake up.'

'But what if he does wake up? What if he wakes up and I am already in love with someone else and he still loves me? He will hate me. He will feel so betrayed. I don't think I could ever handle that' she interrupted him.

George rubbed his eyes with his palms and sat next to her on the bed. 'Honey, Ron would never ever hate you. There is no possibility of that happening. He might be angry but in the end he would want you to be happy. That would matter to him more than anything. He would never want you to be lonely. He will understand. He will come around' he said. Hermione looked unconvinced but she at least looked like she had stopped fighting with herself. George put his arm around her and asked, 'Who is the lucky man? Is it someone I know?'. Hermione bit her lip. So it was someone he knew. 'Well its mostly in my head. He doesn't know about it. I don't even want a relationship with him. I'm just attracted to him. But I feel horrible about it' , she said.

'If it makes you happy, I think you should give it a chance' George said. 'You know Ange and I are giving ourselves a chance too.' Hermione's head shot up in surprise.

'I knew she was falling for you too but I didn't know it would happen so fast! Oh George I am so happy for you! This is great news!' Hermione beamed at him.

'I know it all happened very suddenly. I had stayed over at her place when she back pain got a little out of control and her feet got too swollen for her to be able to walk. Apparently pregnancy makes you incredibly horny and uninhibited!' George said as Hermione laughed. 'Initially I thought it was because I looked so much like Fred but we talked about it. She likes me for being me Hermione. And I cannot tell you what joy that brings me. I feel like I can rule the world. Sometimes I feel horrible because she was Fred's girl, but I know he would be happy knowing I am there for her and the baby rather than some other douche bag.' George finished.

'Yes Fred would have never held that against you. What were you looking for anyways?' Hermione asked.

'Oh yes! I completely forgot! Fred and I had these water works stored somewhere here. They are exactly like fire works, just that they use coloured water instead. Would you help me find them? They are in a carton that says "DO NOT OPEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES" to ward off my mum' George said laughing to which Hermione replied in affirmative. They both combed through the entire room looking for the carton. Finally George found the carton under one of the beds, surrounded by a million other cartons with similar warnings on them.

'Okay Hermione could you please get me a bucket of water? They have been kept away for far too long so they most likely have lost their potency. We can check if they still work by dipping one of the smaller crackers in water and set them off with our wands. If that works then we will be putting up one hell of a display tonight!' George exclaimed excitedly.

'That's a crazy concept George, how did you guys come up with that?' Hermione asked surprised by the unconventional products they were looking at. They looked exactly like fire crackers did.

'Umbridge was the inspiration. We often thought of how we could have given her a better goodbye when we left Hogwarts. One day while we were discussing the possibilities one of us came up with water works. It would have been nice to drench all of her pink cardigans' George shrugged.

Hermione laughed and conjured up a bucket and filled it with water. She went to the window holding the bucket and looked down at the yard where everyone was currently engaged in a snow ball fight. She found Remus towering over Harry, dousing him with snow every where. When Harry tried to throw anything at him, Remus would cheat by confounding him and the snow would land on a very disgruntled Ginny. Harry who was yet to put two and two together thought that he aim was wonky and would try over and over again much to his girlfriend's displeasure. Hermione started giggling uncontrollably at the scene that was playing out in front her. As she was distracted, she didn't notice George setting off a bomb in the room by mistake. The effect of the blast caused the window to shatter and the bucket to tumble from her hands, right onto an unsuspecting Remus below. Everyone froze.

Hermione ran away from the window and towards the main door to check on Remus. Meanwhile the victim of her unintended attack removed the bucket with a lot of difficulty. He didn't know who would be so cruel to douse him when the weather was bad enough already. Shivering, he looked around him for the culprit. Everyone looked shocked for a few seconds. Obviously they hadn't done it. The bucket had fallen from above. Suddenly everyone started to laugh at his expense. He sighed and looked up towards the many floors of the Burrow wondering who could have been so brutal. He identified the window belonging to George's room. He should have guessed that one right away. Who else would do such a thing. As he cursed under his breath while the others continued to laugh at him, Hermione came out breathless looking at him with concern and amusement at the same time. She quickly schooled her features into a serious expression. It couldn't be, Remus thought.

'I'm so sorry Remus! I don't know what just happened! I hadn't meant to hurt you. Are you okay?' Hermione said.

'Of course I am okay Hermione, the bucket of water was exactly what I needed on such a fine day.' Remus spat out.

Unable to hold the giggles in, Hermione took his arm and dried his clothes as he continued to mutter under his breath. She took him in as the others continued to laugh to annoy him further. She dried his hair and cast a warming charm on him to stop the shivering. 'Thanks' he muttered in annoyance. She noticed his hair was all tousled from the attack. Unconsciously her hand moved to set it back it place. As her hand touched his scalp, Remus sucked in a breath and she realised she wandering into dangerous territory again. They looked into each others eyes and started to inch closer towards each other. It seemed as though their bodies were functioning on their own accord. Hermione's hand went towards the back of his head and held the hair there while her other hand was on his shoulder. Both of Remus's hands were around her waist, pulling her closer. This was not something either of them had intended to do today. They broke out of their reverie when George banged the door open holding the carton of water works. The couple broke apart and jumped a foot away from each other. George's face did not hide his surprise.

This was going to end badly. They both knew it.

***The End***

Don't be mean. Make my day. Read and review!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even the very delectable Remus Lupin.

AN: I so wanted to add some lemon to this chapter but I felt like the sexual tension needs to build up a little more before our very calm and collected protagonists start to lose control. Do let me know what you think of it.

I know the pace is rather slow and that I really to build up on it but I thought that it should be important for them to be friends first.

Oh one last thing, I know the joke shop is in Diagon Alley and not Hogsmead but please ignore that one discrepancy.

Reggie: Thanks for keeping up with the story! I hope to not disappoint you!

2400shadow: Don't worry! They're okay! For now at least :P hehe

And I have nothing to say to those of you who read and do not review!

Except that do review! PLEASE!

Chapter 11

Remus was beyond nervous. He had been feeling a little ashamed of his behaviour. He was the older, more mature person in the equation. He didn't know why he had been acting so out of character around Hermione. He had come back to his house for the night for some alone time away from her. He couldn't blame it on his loneliness. He had been lonely for longer periods before with absolutely no friends. He even grieved just as much when he thought all of the marauders were gone forever. There was no particular stimulant in this case other than the fact that they were two lonely people trying to put up a farce about being happy. He knew he was doing a terrible job at it anyways. He had stayed up all night trying to figure out why Hermione was acting like him. He didn't see why she would be interested in him when she was surrounded by so many young and agile men with little baggage. He knew why he was attracted to her though. She was kind, selfless, intelligent, brave and so god damn young. The last part was delinquent in so many ways that he just couldn't stop himself when his thoughts went in that direction. He was to meet her in twenty minutes according to their plan. He didn't know why but he felt wasn't even appropriately dressed for an afternoon lunch and book shopping with Hermione. Not that any of it mattered. She was Dora's friend after all, in addition to being Harry's best friend and his former student. He sighed. After the previous day's debacle when George walked in on them when they were about to do who knows what, they never made any eye contact or conversation. Luckily for them George pretended to have not seen anything and went on with the waterworks. He decided to just floo to the Deli they had decided on for lunch and face the consequences of his errant libido.

He dusted himself after getting out of the fireplace at the reception of the deli. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw Hermione already waiting for him at a table, looking outside the window onto the road. She looked absolutely stunning. She was wearing a navy blue halter maxi that seemed to hug her curves in ways that Remus found very delightful. Her hair was in a bun and she had no makeup on. She looked rather plain, but to Remus, she was the most beautiful woman on the planet that minute. She caught him staring at her and threw him a wide smile and waved to him. He waved back and walked towards her. While he walked towards her, he suddenly grew acutely aware of how much his hips were swaying. That was weird. His hips never swayed before when he walked, which was rather often. He consciously tried not to look like an idiot and tried to get his hips under control. When he reached the table, Hermione frowned at him and asked, 'Remus are you okay? You are walking weird. Did you hurt yourself?'. Remus felt like a complete idiot at that moment. 'Yes I did hurt myself yesterday while trying to move some furniture around at my place. You look beautiful today' Hermione's resounding blush told him that he wasn't the only one on the edge today. 'Thank you, you're not so bad yourself today.' , she replied shyly.

A waitress came over to them, eyeing the odd couple and gave them the menus. Hermione decided on Lemon Chicken Salad while Remus decided on a Cumberland pie. While they placed their order, Hermione could not help but notice her companion for the day. He did look rather handsome that day. The continuous and healthy meals prepared by Andromeda had done him good. He was looking so much younger and fuller. His eyes crinkled attractively every time he smiled. She had been more than nervous about today and could barely get a few minutes of sleep the previous night. She kept trying to pin point at the possible reasons for her rather sudden attraction to Remus but was at a loss. She supposed it had a lot to do with his thoughtfulness, intelligence and his ruggedness. The last part made her blush again. Even in the few minutes of sleep that she caught in the early morning, she dreamt of licking his slight stubble. She had to look away that instant. Her thoughts were again going into dangerous territory. It didn't help that Remus was so much like her favourite literary heroes, who took in everything that life threw at them like a stoic. His tawny eyes and knowing smile added much to her misery.

'You seem rather troubled' his statement broke her out of her reverie. She briefly wondered if they should talk about what happened last night like adults.

Being the brave Gryffindor warrior that she was, she decided against it. 'Oh its nothing. I was just wondering if I should meet George today. He had been calling me over to check out this new range of bubblegums that they launched. They apparently make your eyebrows invisible.'

'Oh dear he launched those already? He spoke to me about those as well when he was in still in the experimental phase. Dora had inspired him to give it a try.' Remus said.

Remus talking about Nymphadora sobered Hermione. Maybe it was just that he hadn't been with someone in so long that had been causing to act differently towards her. She put her hands which were on the table on her lap. 'We can go together if you would like. I would love to see your eyebrows disappear' she joked.

'Sure I would love that. I have been in that store only once, when Fred and George had just launched it. I somehow managed to get a pygmy puff chewing my nose that day and I have never had the courage to walk into that store since. And there is no way in hell that I am going there alone.'

'A pygmy puff tried to eat your nose?!' Hermione exclaimed.

'Yes it was in bad shape for a while after that. I even refused to go to the barber for a haircut out of a pygmy puff attack' Remus shuddered at the memory. Hermione burst out laughing at the sight of her former professor shuddering at the thought of the unpleasant incident. He looked so young in that moment, she could swear some of his scars even disappeared that instant.

Their food arrived shortly and the two of them turned out to be ravenous. He hardly talked while they chomped on their delicious lunch. They split the bill and walked out towards Cyranos. Remus again felt weird swinging his arms while walking and quickly shoved his hands into his pockets. Hermione on the other hand was freezing despite her coat and gloves and held herself tightly.

'Are you cold Hermione?' Remus asked noticing her teeth chattering.

'N..oo…oo' Hermione chattered her dismissal.

Remus smiled in return and put his arm around her pulling her towards him. She looked up in shock at him as he wasn't normally this affectionate with her. Not unless you count the times they made out, she dryly added. 'What?! You don't think I am going to sacrifice my coat in these temperatures do you? Plus it feels rather nice having you pressed against my side" he flirted mildly. He couldn't help but blush too at the sight of her cheeks warming. It was true. It felt nice to smell her and hold her that close. She didn't seem to protest either so he didn't see the harm in the friendly gesture. Or supposedly friendly gesture. Boy he needed to get laid soon.

They walked mostly in silence, giggling every now and then when one of them tripped over the other's foot. The cold had nothing on them when they had each others warmth. Although both of them made an odd couple considering their age difference, they looked rather adorable with their flaws and all cuddling each other. As they entered Cyranos, they were overwhelmed with the smell of old parchment. Remus helped Hermione out of her coat and proceeded to get rid of his own. Hermione couldn't contain her excitement and practically skipped towards the shelves. Remus chuckled at the bounce in her step. She was acting like a five year old at a candy shop. He followed her, curious to know what she would pick up first. He wasn't surprised when she picked up a book by Amelia Crunch, a famous witch lawyer of the 19th century who wrote many autobiographical pieces on her struggle against the wizard- dominated Wizengamot. He went on to pick a book that stood out in the shelf with Albus's picture on it. The book had a ridiculously bright pink cover with a photo of his friend with a creepy smile on his face. He scoffed at the title which read "The dangerous liaisons of Albus Dumbledore- Rita Skeeter discovers the not-so pure intentions of the celebrated leader". Hermione came over to check what had caused such a reaction from the otherwise calm man and found her blood boiling at the sight of the book.

'That woman needs to be in Azkaban for making for trying to make a living out of ruining people's reputations. Can we just sue her for this?' Hermione suggested, trying hard not to burn the book infront of her.

'That would just cause the sales of the book to increase. I didn't even know about this book. I am surprised how there has been so little noise over the book. I don't recall reading about it in the Daily Prophet.' Remus replied

'Oh you wont be reading anything nice of that scum in the Prophet. She was caught trying to sneak into the editor's home as a bug to get her hands on a scandal that she could break before the paper' Hermione bit out hotly.

'Relax Hermione. I think Albus would have had a hearty laugh on this one. Most of the contents surround his love life. Apparently Albus had a thing for young women. Obviously the author has no proof for any of this. Albus always liked men.' Remus said, flipping through the pages.

'I'm sorry what?' Hermione asked confused.

Remus looked up at her and frowned. 'You didn't know?'

'No! I always thought he had something on with Professor McGongagall!' Hermione exclaimed. 'Or at least so I hoped'

Remus laughed loudly, causing the store manager to give him a pointed look that made his displeasure clear at the source of the noise. 'What about his relationship with Grindlewald? Don't tell me you thought they were only friends?'

Hermione blushed and looked away. 'I thought Dumbledore looked upto him like a mentor' she said shyly. Remus burst into another fit of giggles and he pulled her cheeks 'That's rather sweet of you Hermione but I must point out Albus and Grindlewald were in an amorous relationship that puts most of Muggle reality television to shame!'

Hermione's eyes widened to size of saucers at the statement, causing Remus to giggle more. She muttered to herself about her own stupidity and went back to her book. She tried reading but visions of Dumbledore being anything but asexual kept plaguing her mind. She finally gave up and joined Remus in reading some of the more ridiculous parts of the book about Dumbledore's unending sexual appetite. At least the Skeeter woman gave her a few laughs through the book. After a while she got up looked around the store for a few more books. She couldn't stop smiling to herself while browsing through the shelves. It had been a nice afternoon after all and Remus had made her laugh like she hadn't in a long time. When their sexual appetites desires were not at play, she could actually see herself spending more time with the man and actually being friends. Even though she had Harry, Ginny and George; she still felt hollow on the inside. It probably had a lot to do with her parents and Ron, but she could definitely do with more friends. She and Remus also shared the same interests so it was easier to make time for him. But his attractiveness could pose as a problem sometimes. She shrugged off that thought and continued to look for interesting reads.

After they both had spent a considerable part of their salary on books at Cyranos, the two of them headed towards the joke shop. As it was close to sunset now, even Remus was starting to feel the chill and they held onto each other for the fear of frostbites. They stumbled quite a bit times with the weight of the books before Hermione realised that they had wands and dimished the load and size of their packages. Finally when they reached the joke shop, they both slowed down remembering Fred. While the shop was still just as absurd and loud in its décor, it lacked a certain energy that it had when the twins were running it. Remus held the door open for Hermione at the store. Despite the cold, the store was buzzing with excited children and exasperated parents. They made their way through an incredibly thick crowd trying to take a look at the latest inventions. When the pygmy puffs came into his line of vision, Remus started to panic and Hermione had to push him towards the office, away from the pink little devils to calm him down.

'They are just fur balls you know. You don't need to panic every time you see them! Just use your wand to get rid of them' Hermione said in an attempt to placate him.

'Easy for you to say that. You have never had nightmares about them eating up your entire face!' he barked back.

Hermione just shook her head and got him a glass of water. She wondered where George was. He usually is in the midst of things when they are so chaotic at the shop. Even when Fred was around, it was usually George overseeing the crowds making sure nothing goes wrong. It was rather uncharacteristic of him to leave the shop unattended.

'I am guessing you are wondering where George is?' Remus asked. She nodded looking around the office wondering if something would give her a clue as to where he was. Even though the war was over, the Death Eaters were still formidable and she just could not afford to lose George too. She started to hyperventilate and Remus noticed the change in her demeanour. He had a good idea as to what was making her anxious. After Andromeda's attack, he felt unsafe himself.

'Lets go take a look at the storage room, he is probably looking to restock those shelves with the number of customers coming in' he suggested. Hermione dumbly nodded again. He took her hand in hers hoping that some kind of physical contact would calm her. They walked together through the various rooms, looking around for the boy. Now even Remus was starting to get worried. What if something had happened to him while all the staff were tending to the customers? Angelina was just a few weeks away from delivering so George could not have been no callous, Remus hoped. George would be better prepared for any kind of attack. Plus he could also feel the safety wards on the shop and they were pretty strong. If he wasn't wrong, the twins had also launched a whole range of devices that went on alarmed you when someone from the Dark side was around. He hadn't seen them since the Battle though. He could feel his heartbeat quicken in response to Hermione's deep breathing. She was scared and he could smell it. It started to work on his senses too. He didn't think he could see the poor boy hurt or dead. As annoying as he was, he was a young, caring man full of life who played by his own rules. As they crossed all the back end rooms, only one was left to be open. If George was not in there, he would contact the Burrow to check his status on the clock and contact Kingsley immediately.

Hermione who was walking behind Remus the whole time praying nothing had happened to their friend, came walked towards the door. She left his hand and decided that if George was hurt, she wouldn't want Remus to see him. He had dealt with enough after the incident at Andromeda's place. She looked back at him and said in attempt to placate herself more than him, 'I'm sure he is just snoring inside'. As her hand reached out towards the knob, she remembered the vision of Ron's mangled body lying in attic. No one knew how long he had been hurt and with all the noise around the Burrow, no one had thought much of the noise that came in from the attic. Blinking back tears, she steeled herself and turned the knob. She didn't know if she was going to laugh or cry at the sight that greeted her.

George and Angelina were in a state of undress and they both were so busy with themselves that they never realised they had an audience. George was latched onto Angelina's swollen buds who was moaning away. Both their bodies were wrapped around each other so passionately it was impossible to tell their limbs apart in the darkness. Angelina's hand ventured into George's trousers and he grunted loudly. It was only then that Hermione and Remus realised the room had a silencing charm on it, which is why the room was eerily quite before they opened it. Remus quickly shut the door because Hermione was still in a state of shock after what she saw. He turned around to look at her, only to find her cheeks red with embarrassment. While he was relieved the boy was fine, what they saw definitely made things really awkward between him and Hermione. While they hadn't talked about what could have happened yesterday, he was pretty sure she hadn't forgotten about it.

'Looks like George is in good hands I guess' Remus said pathetically trying to lighten the atmosphere.

'Yes I suppose you could say that' Hermione replied and looked up at Remus. As they both made eye contact, they were acutely aware of how close they were standing to each other. They both giggled nervously.

'Well it doesn't look like we are going to get a glimpse of the bubblegums. Do you think we should just head home?' Remus asked her.

Not trusting herself around Remus especially after being a little turned on from what she saw, she nodded, 'I'll go grab our coats and I'll see you by the floo'

The sea of screaming parents and children throwing tantrums did not affect her physical or mental state. Yes it had been long since she had been intimate with someone but surely not having sex could not possibly affect her that much could it? Or did it have something to do with Remus? Even though she just saw a young man close to her age half naked, she still wanted to be in that state with her former professor and not George. This was so messed up. The first thing she would do is talk to Ginny, she decided. But she couldn't. Because she was Ron's sister. This was going to be very difficult she sighed. She found herself unable to meet Remus's eyes as she met him by the floo to give him his coat. As they flooed back to Grimauld Place, the both of them bolted in the direction of their rooms without making any kind of conversation with the occupants in the living room or with each other, much to the amusement of Harry Potter and Andromeda Tonks.


End file.
